Ind vs Eng: England Beat India By 227 Runs, Leads Series 1-0 (Match Report)

Joe Root led England to an emphatic 227-run win over India in the opening Test on Tuesday, boosting their hopes of securing a rare series win against the hosts on their own patch.

Brief Score: England - 578/10 (Joe Root - 218; Jasprit Bumrah - 3/87), India - 337/10 (Rishabh Pant - 91; Dom Bess - 4/76), England - 178/10 (Joe Root - 40; R Ashwin - 6/61); India - 192 (Virat Kohli - 72; Jack Leach - 4/76)

Chennai Test: India vs England First Test, Match Report

Resuming the day at 39/1, India were never in the chase after Jack Leach struck early with the wicket of overnight batsman Cheteshwar Pujara for 15 and Anderson also used his reverse swing on the wearing pitch.

Shubman Gill completed his third Test fifty in just his fourth game before Anderson took away his off-stump. Three balls later he cleaned up Ajinkya Rahane for nought. Anderson got India's first innings hero Pant for 11 and spinner Dom Bess chipped in with the wicket of Washington Sundar for nought as India slipped to 117-6.

R Ashwin and Virat Kohli partnered to add 54 runs for the seventh wicket. Ashwin edged won to the keeper giving Leach his third wicket of the day. India captain Virat Kohli fought a lone battle, reaching his 24th Test fifty before being bowled by Ben Stokes on a delivery that stayed low. Leach and fast bowler Jofra Archer combined to run through the tail.

After winning the toss, England had scored 578 in their first innings, thanks to captain Joe Root's superb 218, Dominic Sibley's 87, and Stokes's 82. Root came into the Test on the back of match-winning scores of 228 and 186 against Sri Lanka last month. In reply, India posted 337 and conceded a lead of 241. 

In their second innings, Indian bowlers performed much better as they bowled England out for 178, thanks to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who took six wickets for 61. But chasing a target of 420 was always going to be extremely tough for India on a crumbling and dusty MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch.

The victory was all the more impressive for England as it came just a month after India’s upset series triumph in Australia, where they handed the hosts their first defeat at Brisbane’s Gabba ground since 1988.

This was India's first defeat against England at this venue in 35 years, during which five Tests were played.

The second Test begins Saturday with spectators allowed at Chennai's M.A.Chidambaram Stadium -- a first for Indian cricket since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak.