India dig in under overcast skies after losing another toss

India dig in under overcast skies after losing another toss

India were sent in under low, grey skies on a green-top at the Oval and dug in to reach 72 for 2 in 23 overs, slowly growing in confidence before rain forced an early Lunch.

Stand-in captain Ollie Pope won his first toss in five attempts and got a fielding review right for the first time in 14 tries, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for 0. Jaiswal's dismissal followed a familiar pattern: it was the seventh time in nine innings that he was dismissed by a pacer bowling from around the wicket.

Gus Atkinson was the standout bowler in the session, giving away just seven runs in a tight six-over burst. Chris Woakes looked rusty early on but settled into a better rhythm, cramping KL Rahul with a hard-length ball that jagged back in and denied him the room to cut.

Shubman Gill looked assured and struck three boundaries in his 23-ball stay, showing signs of the form he's been carrying. Sai Sudharsan impressed the most, blunting England's plans with a mix of patience and proactive strokeplay, especially punishing the overpitched and the straight deliveries.

Brief Scores: India 72/2 (Sudharsan 25*, Gill 15*; Atkinson 1-7, Woakes 1-28) vs England.