Team India sans Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, chose to bat first led by Rohit Sharma. The top-order didn't offer much as Rohit scored just 9 runs while Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari all fell after scoring good-looking 20s. Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja then took the onus to help their team get to safer shores. Rahul, with this innings, might have put his name for the first Test against England in the middle-order. The County Xi's bowlers came back to pick two-three wickets in quick succession as India finished the first day at 306/9 with pacers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah in the middle.

Source: dna July 21, 2021 09:11 UTC