Virat Kohli’s stubborn 49* held off a valiant England attack on day five of the first test at India managed to escape with a draw.

Alastair Cook went to his 30th test century whilst Haseeb Hameed scored 82 in just his second test innings, as England set India 310 in 49 overs after declaring their second innings on 260-3.

India found themselves 71-4 in reply but Kohli’s unbeaten 49 ensured the hosts escaped with a draw as Adil Rashid’s three wicket haul couldn’t get England over the line.

England push on after solid start

Resuming 114-0, Cook and Hameed set about their business looking for quick runs to give themselves as much time as possible to bowl India out and added 66 to their overnight score before India finally picked up their first wicket.

That was to be Hameed, who slapped a wide ball straight back at Amit Mishra just 18 short of a debut test ton, but the 19-year-old could be more than proud of his efforts in his first match in an England shirt.

After a magnificent century of his own in the first innings, Joe Root couldn’t repeat the feat as Mishra struck in consecutive overs when the Yorkshire batsman top edged slog sweeping for just four.

But Cook wasn’t to be denied just his second test hundred of 2016 and got to three figures with a push through mid on which was met by scenes of joy from the England captain, meaning he has the most visiting hundreds in India by any test player.

Ben Stokes joined Cook in what was to be a final quest for runs for England and the powerful left-hander hit five boundaries in a run-a-ball 29 alongside captain Cook before he was the last man out for a superb 130.

He was caught in the deep off the bowling of world number one ranked bowler Ravi Ashwin, who finished with rather underwhelming match figures of 69.3-7-230-3.

England take upper hand early in India second innings

England took just two overs to strike as Gautam Gambhir was caught in the slip cordon by Root off the bowling of Chris Woakes without troubling the scorers, but Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara dug in once again after their 209-run stand in the first innings.

However, their partnership was to be broken on 47 when Rashid claimed his first, trapping Pujara in front for 18 before removing Vijay for 31 six overs later after a smart catch from Hameed, already making a name for himself at short leg.

Rashid’s partner in crime Moeen Ali saw Ajinkya Rahane for one in the next over to leave India reeling at 71-4 from 23.4 overs.

Kohli and Ashwin stop the rot

Despite a poor match with the ball, Ashwin had frustrated England with the bat and stopped England’s momentum alongside Kohli and the pair put on 47 in 15 overs until Zafar Ansari took his third wicket of the match, Joe Root snaffling his second victim of the innings.

England and Rashid were to pick up one more wicket when Wriddhiman Saha chipped one back to Rashid, but with the hosts 172-6 from 52.3 overs, Kohli offered his hand to Cook out in the middle and the England skipper duly obliged to a well fought draw, with the next test taking place on Thursday in Visakhapatnam.

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About the author
Harry Wright
Sport Journalism at the university of Bedfordshire. MK Dons supporter, referee, cricket player, Somerset and New England Patriots fan.