Rahane ton leads India fightback

Jul 17, 2014

After all the off-field drama courtesy the charges and counter-charges against James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja, it was time for the cricket to take centre stage again. Rahul Dravid rang the five-minute bell, after England had won the toss and inserted India on a green pitch•Getty Images

Gary Ballance gets down to the low catch to remove Shikhar Dhawan...and kept his shirt on•Getty Images

Vijay could not kick on though, falling after Liam Plunkett was brought on first change. Virat Kohli came in and played a couple of shots, meaning India went to lunch on 73 for 2•Getty Images

Stuart Broad induced a thin edge off MS Dhoni soon after, and wheeled away to celebrate his 250th Test scalp•Getty Images

Ajinkya Rahane, though, was at his fluent best and he took the attack to England by striking boundaries at regular intervals•Getty Images

Anderson had Shikhar Dhawan early, the batsman edging a big away-moving delivery to third slip•Getty Images

England's slip cordon watched and waited as the conditions kept testing M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara, but the Indian pair doggedly hung in there, adding 37 in 18.4 overs •Getty Images

Kohli was however dismissed quickly after play resumed, edging Anderson for 25•Getty Images

Ravindra Jadeja did not last long either and was trapped lbw by Moeen Ali for 3•Getty Images

He added 90 for the eight wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as India's lower order came to the rescue again•Getty Images

Matt Prior missed a low chance off M Vijay as his problems with the gloves continued•PA Photos

Kohli's wicket triggered a collapse, as India lost their way. Pujara was bowled off a fuller delivery from Ben Stokes•Getty Images

Stuart Binny too was unable to repeat his second-innings heroics at Trent Bridge and was caught leg before by Anderson, as India slumped to 145 for 7•Getty Images

Rahane eventually collected a maiden Test ton in England, and despite falling soon after for 103, India made their way to a commendable 290 for 9 at stumps•Getty Images