Ind vs Eng, 1st Test: Leach, Anderson run riot as visitors thrash India by 227 runs

Chennai , February 9: Jack Leach picked four while James Anderson scalped three wickets as England defeated India by 227 runs in the first Test here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.

It was a perfect day for England despite India skipper Virat Kohli showing resilience in the second innings. The England bowlers dominated the hosts right from the start of the final day. Shubman Gill showed a glimmer of hope but that was short-lived as James Anderson dismantled top order dismissing Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rishabh Pant. With this win, England has taken a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series.

If Dom Bess stole the show for England in the first innings, it was Jack Leach and Anderson's combined performance that hogged the limelight for the visitors in the second essay. The win over India in the first Test has also propelled England to the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings.

In the second session, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin stitched an important 54-run stand before Leach broke the partnership as England required just three wickets to go 1-0 up in the series.

Kohli registered his 24th half-century but Ben Stokes cleaned up the Indian skipper to leave hosts with no hope in the match. In the next over, Leach dismissed Shahbaz Nadeem to take his fourth wicket of the innings as India was reduced to 179/9.

In the end, it was just a formality as Jofra Archer dismissed Jaspirt Bumrah to give England a win in the first Test.

In the first session, India did not get off to a good start while resuming day five at 39/1, as Jack Leach continued from where he left off the other night. Leach sent back Cheteshwar Pujara (15) in just the seventh over of the final day.

Brief Scores: England 578 and 178; India 337 and 192/10 (Shubman Gill 50, Virat Kohli 72, Jack Leach 4-72). (ANI)