Lol @ all the writing off of Ashwin. ITs just one test and this is the flattest wicket you can get in the country, apart from maybe Nagpur. Its good that England are doing well but everything went well for them here, remember. Won the toss, 5 dropped chances, Stokes had the h4xest of innings there for a 100 (and I am sure he is a much better batsman but that was just an innings written h4x all over it) and they had the better of the bowling conditions and still only managed a 50 run lead. I think their batsmen have good techniques to survive and frustrate the Indian spinners, esp. Ashwin on tracks that are slow, low and flat like this one, but if the ball is turning and at some speed like it did with RSA and NZ (and those were not bad wickets by any standards, except one test against RSA), the very factors that are going for them in handling the spinners will become negatives. THAT will be the real test, just like India had it after the first and second tests on flat tracks in England back in 2014.
ONe thing that has not changed is us gifting Cook a life when he is looking ****ing pathetic and then him reminding himself of how good he actually is and batting like it and making us pay. DAmn I both hate and love that guy's batting.