England break 66-year-old record in Test cricket; do not concede even a single extra in India's first innings

The second Test match between India and England is currently underway at the MA Chidambaram stadium, and the England cricket team managed to bowl out the Indian side for 329 in the first innings. Resuming their innings at 300/6 on Day 2, India could last only 7.5 overs, and lost their last 4 wickets for the addition of only 29 runs.

While Rishabh Pant displayed some fireworks, he received no support from the other end. While Axar Patel departed in the second over of the day for 5, the likes of Ishant Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav departed without even troubling the scorers. Mohammed Siraj lasted just 2 deliveries, before he was dismissed by Olly Stone.

Now, England achieved another unique distinction, and in the process also broke a long standing record that stood for 66 years. In the 329 runs that India scored, there was not a single extra that was conceded by the England bowlers. The visitors used 6 bowlers, and all 6 of them did a tidy job, by not conceding a single extra run.

In fact, the record for conceding the highest total without any extras was previously held by India, when they conceded 328 runs without a single extra in the year 1955 at Lahore against Pakistan. Now, England have broken this long-standing record that was held by India.

Highest Test innings total without extras

India – 329 v England, Chennai, 2021
Pakistan – 328 v India, Lahore 1955#INDvENG

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) February 14, 2021

Rohit’s sizzling form dominated England

As far as the second Test is concerned, the innings was mainly about one man, Rohit Sharma. The opener took the England bowling attack by the scruff of the neck, and scored a sensational 161 at the top of the order. His innings consisted of 18 fours and 2 sixes. Apart from Sharma, two other batsmen who scored half centuries for the Indian side were Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant.

While Rahane helped himself to a classy 67 off 149 deliveries, Pant was at his usual belligerent self, scoring an unbeaten 58 off 77 deliveries at a strike rate of 75.32. For England, Moeen Ali was the pick of the bowlers. The right arm off spinner took 4 wickets in his 29 overs, giving away 128 runs in the process. He scalped the two crucial wickets of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane.

In reply, the England scorecard reads 31/3, at the time of writing. The visitors are 1-0 up in the four match Test series, and Virat Kohli and his men will be looking to come back strong, and post a win in the second Test at Chennai.