Nottingham: India captain Virat Kohli was out for nought first ball as his side suffered a spectacular collapse against England in the first Test at Trent Bridge, with England great James Anderson taking two wickets in two balls on Thursday’s second day.
Kohli was caught behind off Anderson by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler one ball after Cheteshwar Pujara fell to the same combination for four.
India had been in total command at 97-0 in reply to England’s meagre first innings 183 but then lost four wickets for 15 runs either side of lunch as they slumped to 112-4.
When bad light - followed soon afterwards by rain - stopped play, the tourists were 125-4, a deficit of 58 runs.
And that was the score when an early tea was called.
One consolation for India was that recalled opener KL Rahul was still there on 57 not out after being reprieved on 52 when Dom Sibley dropped a regulation slip catch.
Star batsman Kohli was undone by a brilliant Anderson delivery that lifted and moved late to take the edge on its way through to Buttler.
The ball before Anderson, previously wicketless in the innings, had number three Cheteshwar Pujara caught low down by Buttler for four.
Ajinkya Rahane survived the hat-trick when Anderson strayed down the legside but England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker still had figures of 2-15 in 13.1 overs when the umpires decided it was too dangerous to continue play, despite the floodlights being on full beam.
Before that Rahane, then the non-striker, was undone for five when he was run out by Jonny Bairstow’s direct hit from backward point after Rahul set off and then stopped.
Rahul ought to have been Anderson’s third wicket of the innings but, following a thick outside edge, Sibley floored a catch going to his left at second slip despite getting both hands to the ball.
India, resuming on 21-0, had been in command for all but one ball of the morning’s play.
Both Rahul, recalled after Mayank Agwaral was ruled out with suspected concussion after being hit on the head batting in the nets on Monday - and Rohit Sharma blunted England’s attack with disciplined skill.
But on the stroke of lunch, Sharma fell for 36 when, in what appeared to be a lapse in concentration, he pulled a surprise short ball from the Ollie Robinson to Sam Curran at fine leg.
India’s four-man pace attack had performed superbly to dismiss England on Wednesday, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 4-46.
Only England captain Joe Root, who won the toss, with 64 passed 29 as the hosts suffered yet another batting collapse.
The innings featured four ducks - the third time this had happened to England in their last five Tests.
