The Fort Worth Press - Four-wicket Chahal stars as India dismiss England for 246

Two days after pace proved England's undoing during a 10-wicket thrashing in the first of a three-match series at the Oval, leg-spinner Chahal was their tormentor-in-chief on the other side of London's River Thames.

He finished with 4-47 from his maximum 10 overs, including a burst of 3-18 in 16 balls that accounted for key batsmen Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes as England slumped from 72-1 to 87-4.

England, on the third anniversary of their dramatic World Cup final victory at Lord's, were indebted to two players who didn't feature in that match -- Moeen Ali and David Willey -- for getting past 200.

The left-handers put on 62 in 13 overs after coming together at 148-6 after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first on a green-tinged pitch.

Moeen top-scored with 47 while Willey, who should have been out for one and was dropped again on 23, made 41.

England were unchanged despite a batting collapse on Tuesday that was followed by a mauling for their attack.

India recalled Virat Kohli, who missed the Oval match with a groin problem, on a day where the 33-year-old star batsman -- without an international hundred since 2019 -- was left out of the squad for an upcoming Twenty20 series in the West Indies.

England collapsed to 26-5 inside eight overs at the Oval during a match where India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took a career-best 6-19.

But they avoided similar embarrassment at Lord's.

Jason Roy heaved Mohammed Shami over deep midwicket for six before, on 23, he flicked first-change Hardik Pandya straight to deep square leg.

Fellow opener Jonny Bairstow, one of five England survivors from the World Cup final in Thursday's team along with Roy, Root, Stokes and now captain Jos Buttler, looked in good touch.

But he was bowled for a run-a-ball trying to slog sweep Chahal, who then had Root plumb lbw for 11 when the world's top-ranked Test batsman, missed a sweep.

Dangerman Buttler, who has lost three of his four games since succeeding retired World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan as England's white-ball captain, managed just four before he was bowled by a Shami inswinger to leave England reeling at 87-4

Stokes, playing one reverse sweep too many, was lbw to Chahal for 21.

Liam Livingstone, hit flush on the helmet first ball by a Shami bouncer, made a run-a-ball 33. But having hit Pandya for a six and a four off successive deliveries, he pulled the next ball straight to deep square leg.

Moeen, who pulled Prasidh Krishna for a huge six, repaired some of the damage before he holed out off Chahal with Willey, reprieved on one when Krishna dropped a simple chance at fine leg, slogging a catch in the deep off Bumrah.

W.Knight--TFWP