England's batting woes continued in the ongoing five-match Test series against India, as they were dismissed for 218 on Day 1 of the fifth Test at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday (March 7). Opting to bat, England's innings featured promising starts from Zak Crawley (79), Ben Duckett (27), Joe Root (26), Jonny Bairstow (29), and Ben Foakes (24), but they failed to convert them into substantial scores.
A significant setback for England was the early dismissals of skipper Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, and James Anderson, all departing for ducks. Kuldeep Yadav showcased his brilliance with the ball, claiming a fifer and becoming the fastest Indian to reach 50 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled. In his 100th Test, Ravichandran Ashwin also excelled, securing a four-wicket haul, while Ravindra Jadeja contributed by dismissing Joe Root.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) expressed disappointment and roasted England for their subpar batting performance on what was considered a batting-friendly pitch.
Read Also | English Fans Build Snowman in Dharamsala to Celebrate Jonny Bairstow's 100th Test, Video Goes Viral