Day 2, first Test: Early jolt to England

India struck early sending back Andrew Flintoff, James Anderson and Graeme Swann on the second day of the first cricket Test at the M. A. Chidambaram stadium. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh were at their best to give India an edge on the very first hour of the game.

Taking the overnight score of 229 for 5, Flintoff (18) was the first wicket to fall while gliding a leg-side delivery of Amit Mishra to the short leg fielder Gautam Gambhir.

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While Anderson was the next to go adding only 19 runs before hitting a slog-sweep to the man standing at deep mid-wicket of the same bowler.

Graeme Swann then drive a Harbhajan Singh delivery to Rahul Dravid at slip bringing down the score board to 277 for 8. With this the chances of England putting a good total in the first innings seems gloomy.

Earlier on the first day, England batsman Andrew Strauss made an excellent knock of 123 while putting an opening stand of 118 runs with Alastair Cook (52). Struss held one end intact while wickets continue to tumble at the other. Ian Bell (17), Kevin Pietersen (4) and Paul Collingwood (9) fell cheaply.