Team India had a poor outing with the bat on the first day of their only warm-up game at Grace Road in Leicester.
Overcast conditions along with a few rain breaks ensured it was a day tailor-made for fast bowling. And having won the toss, Rohit Sharma and his men struggled with the ball swinging and seaming all around.
Few batsmen got starts but failed to carry on. In fact, India had lost half their side for just 81 before Kohli & Bharat combined for a 57-run stand. Wicket-keeper batsman KS Bharat proved to be the top-scorer for India, and it was his unbeaten knock of 70 that shepherded India to 246/8 at the end of day 1.
4 Indian players in Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah & Prasidh Krishna were part of the opposing Leicestershire and while Bumrah remained wicketless, Prasidh Krishna snaffled Shreyas Iyer's wicket for nought.
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India will be hoping for a much improved showing with the bat in the second innings but before that the onus will be on the bowlers to keep India in the game.