Ajinkya Rahane Mohammed Shami Virat Kohli India
The injury to Mohammed Shami is a slight worry for India ahead of Day 2 of the first Test against EnglandReuters

The India fielders had a forgettable opening day of the first Test against England in Rajkot, and then with the pitch easing up and turning into a road after the first hour, the bowlers suffered, with Joe Root and Moeen Ali batting brilliantly. Day 2, India will hope, will be a little different.

Well, a lot different really.

Get the Day 2 score HERE

India need early wickets on Day 2 morning to stand any chance of forcing a positive result in this game. Because if England, on 311/4 after day one, are allowed to post a first innings score of over 500, there will only be two results possible.

Also Read

As flat as the wicket might seem at this moment, these are the kind of situations where one bowler needs to step up, bowl that they-are-still-talking-about-it-after-five-years spell, break England's momentum completely and bring India back into the game.

India have the personnel to do that, but whether they will, considering how accomplished the England batsmen have looked, remains to be seen.

Virat Kohli also has a worry over the fitness of Mohammed Shami, who suffered cramps during the final two sessions of the opening day. If that problem to his hamstring is worse than just cramps, then India could be a bowler short, which would then complicate matters even more.

Owing to Shami's discomfort, India did not take the new ball on Wednesday. However, the home team are likely to start the day with the brand new red cherry on day two, and it will be vital for the bowlers to make full use of it.

Holding onto the catches will be key, and there really can be no excuses for the slip fielders to be grassing the ball again, if a chance does come their way.

Ali, who is on 99, will first have plans to get the hundred out of the way as quickly as possible, before forging another big partnership with Ben Stokes, who, if he gets in, can take the game away from India in a hurry.

Where to Watch Live

India: TV: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD1, Star Sports HD3. Live Streaming: Hotstar.

UK: TV: Sky Sports 2. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.

Middle East: TV: OSN Cricket. Live Streaming: OSN Cricket Live.

New Zealand: TV: Sky Sport 2. Live Streaming: Sky Go NZ.

Australia: TV: Fox Sports 2. Live Streaming: Foxtel.

US and Canada: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.