Former England cricket star Kevin Pietersen faced a barrage of trolling on social media, particularly from ex-India opener Wasim Jaffer, following his inaccurate prediction for England’s performance on Day 1 of the first Test against India. Pietersen, known for his bold statements, had predicted that England would declare their innings at 450/9 before the start of the match.
However, the reality unfolded quite differently, as only Ben Stokes managed to surpass the 50-run mark. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s impressive bowling efforts led to England being bowled out for 246 in the third session. Wasim Jaffer swiftly responded to Pietersen’s prediction on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), incorporating a witty reference to Dinesh Karthik.
Contrary to Pietersen’s foresight, India ended the day at a comfortable 119 for one after successfully dismissing England for 246 on the opening day of the Test match. Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased a stellar performance, scoring an unbeaten 76, while Shubman Gill remained not out on 14. Despite losing skipper Rohit Sharma for 24, India trailed by 127 runs at the close of play. The social media banter intensifies as Pietersen’s prediction misfires in the dynamic cricketing encounter.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, England faced early setbacks in the ongoing Test match against India. Openers Zak Crawley (20) and Ben Duckett (35) provided a decent start, accumulating 55 runs before Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the first breakthrough, dismissing Duckett in front of the wicket.
Captain Ben Stokes led the English innings with a top score of 70 off 88 balls, but his wicket marked the end of their batting display, falling victim to Jasprit Bumrah’s delivery (28). Jonny Bairstow contributed 37 runs off 58 balls before succumbing to a skillful delivery from Axar Patel (2/33).
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin were standout performers, each securing three wickets, while Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with two wickets each. England’s decision to bat first proved challenging against India’s formidable spin attack, with the bowlers making significant inroads into the English batting lineup.
