The Indians yet again produced a listless bowling performance as Derbyshire piled up 326 for five at stumps of the first day of the second tour game ahead of five-match Test series against England, here on Tuesday.
Billy Godleman (67 n.o., 159b, 8x4) and 17-year-old Harvey Hossein (53 n.o., 89b, 8x4) were at the crease at the end of the first day’s play.
The only bright spark for the visitor was the first hour of the lunch session when Ravindra Jadeja (two for 27) and Ishwar Pandey (one for 34) bowled well in tandem to pick up three quick wickets.
Jadeja only bowled one spell in the middle session and that was when the Indians looked in control. But the Derbyshire batsmen made merry, accumulating runs at ease on either side of his spell. In the post-tea session, the host scored 140 runs in 34 overs.
Wes Durston made 95 off just 90 balls with 14 fours and two sixes. Durston put on 124 runs with Godleman for the fifth wicket before falling to a return-catch to Stuart Binny (one for 25) just when he was close to completing a deserved hundred.
It didn’t bring about any more breakthroughs as Godleman constructed another fine partnership, this time adding 87 with Hossein, as he brought up his 50 in the 74th over of the day.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (none for 24), Pankaj Singh (one for 63), Varun Aaron (none for 45), Ishant Sharma (none for 49) and Ishwar Pandey (one for 34) bowled their second spells in the post-tea session. R. Ashwin (none for 25) too bowled a few overs after missing from the field for the better part of the day, while skipper M.S. Dhoni (none for 11) sent down the last over wherein Hossein reached his fifty with a spanking four.
Precautionary measure Mohammad Shami missed out on the day’s play as a precautionary measure owing to a calf strain sustained before the game, but is expected to bowl in the second innings.
The scores: Derbyshire 326 for five in 90 overs (Billy Godleman 67 batting, Harvey Hossein 53 batting, Ben Slater 54, Ravindra Jadeja two for 27) vs. Indians.
