India yet again produced a listless bowling performance as Derbyshire piled up 326 for five at stumps on the first day of their second tour game ahead of five-match Test series against England, here on Tuesday.
Billy Godleman (67 batting) and 17-year-old Harvey Hossein (53 batting) were at the crease at the end of opening day’s play.
The only bright spark for the visitors was the first hour of the lunch session when Ravindra Jadeja (2/27) and Ishwar Pandey (1/34) bowled well in tandem to pick up three quick wickets.
Jadeja only bowled one spell in the middle session and that was when Indians looked in control. But on either side of his spell, Derbyshire batsmen made merry while the sun shone bright the whole day, accumulating runs at ease. In the post-tea session, the hosts scored 140 runs in 34 overs.
Wes Durston scored 95 runs off just 90 balls, hitting 14 fours and two sixes. With Godleman, Durston put on 124 runs for the fifth wicket before falling to a return-catch to Stuart Binny (1/25) 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 runs with Hossein, as he brought up his fifty in the 74th over of the day.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/24), Pankaj Singh (1/63), Varun Aaron (0/45), Ishant Sharma (0/49) and Pandey bowled second spells in the post-tea session.
R Ashwin (0/25) too bowled a few overs after missing from the field for the better part of the day, while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (0/11) sent down the last over wherein Hossein reached his fifty with a spanking four.
Brief scores: Derbyshire (I Innings): 326/5 in 90 overs (Ben Slater 54, Billy Godleman 67 batting, Wes Durston 95, Harvey Hosein 53 batting; Ravindra Jadeja 2-27) vs Indians.
