How they threw it all away again

ENGLAND’S batsmen wasted a golden opportunity handed to them when captain Alastair Cook won the toss. On a pitch at its best for batting, they meekly handed their wicket to India with a catalogue of errors that would make a schoolboy blush.

Only Jonny Bairstow can hold his head high after scoring 89. As for the rest. . .

JOE ROOT lbw b J Yadav 15 (51-2) An awful shot to the first ball after the mid-morning drinks break, missing an attempted pull shot off a delivery that was too close for the shot. Trapped plumb in front. ALASTAIR COOK c Patel b Ashwin 27 (51-3) Having been badly dropped by Ashwin at mid-wicket on 23, Cook gifted India’s off-spinner a wicket with his first ball, edging a cut through to wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. MOEEN ALI c Vijay b Shami 16 (87-4) With 10 minutes to go before lunch, Moeen was suckered by a short one, hooking high and not very handsome in the hands of Murali Vijay at fine leg.

BEN STOKES st Patel b Jadeja 29 (144-5) After putting on a careful 57 with Jonny Bairstow, Stokes ran past one from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and was comfortably stumped. Received an earful from Virat Kohli for his troubles and had to be shooed off by umpire Marais Erasmus.

JOS BUTTLER c Kohli b Jadeja 43 (213-6) Another tame wicket as Buttler chips to Kohli, diving forward at mid-off. PS IT was bad for England but it could have been so much worse had India not grassed three chances on a poor day in the field.

Alastair Cook, on three at the time, is dropped in just the third over by Ravindra Jadeja off the bowling of Mohammed Shami.

Shami holds his head in his hands again as Cook is spilled once more, this time Ravi Ashwin dropping a sitter at mid wicket.

Keeper Parthiv Patel drops a double clanger, missing a Johnny Bairstow nick and then missing out on the stumping with the Yorkshireman stranded.