Hyderabad, Jan 25: India were comfortably placed at 119 for one at stumps after bowling out England for 246 on the opening day of the first Test here on Thursday.

Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting on a 70-ball 76 while Shubman Gill was unbeaten on 14 at the end of the day's play, as India trailed by 127 runs after losing skipper Rohit Sharma (24).

England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first.

The visitors were off to a decant start with openers Zak Crawley (20) and Ben Duckett (35) adding 55 runs at a fairly good pace before Ravichandran Ashwin gave India their first breakthrough by having Duckett trapped in front of the wicket.

Stokes top-scored with 70 off 88 balls and was the last English wicket to fall, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah (28).

Jonny Bairstow contributed 37 off 58 balls before he was done in by a beautiful delivery from Axar Patel (2/33).

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin bagged three wickets apiece while there were two each for Axar and Bumrah.

Brief Scores:

England 1st innings: 246 all out in 64.3 overs (Ben Stokes 70; Ravindra Jadeja 3/88, R Ashwin 3/68).

India 1st innings: 119/1 in 23 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal batting 76).

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.

Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.

A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.

The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.

The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.

The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.

Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.

Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.

Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.

"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.

The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.

Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.

This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.

Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.

“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.

He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.

RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.

Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.

Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.

The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.