Hartley gets first Test wicket but India in control

KL Rahul hit a fifty as India closed in on England's lead after debutant Tom Hartley got his first Test wicket on day two of the opening match Friday.

India reached 222-3 and are trailing England by 24 on day two of the five-match series in Hyderabad.

Rahul, on 55, and Shreyas Iyer, on 34, were batting at lunch after the hosts lost overnight duo Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill inside the first hour of play.

Rahul reached his Test half-century with a single off Joe Root and kept up the flow in an unbeaten stand of 63 with Iyer.

Root opened the day for England with his spin bowling and took down Jaiswal on the fourth ball to silence a large and otherwise raucous home crowd that had swelled for the Republic Day national holiday.

Left-hander Jaiswal added four to his overnight 76 with a boundary on the second ball but was dismissed after lobbing the ball back to Root, who jumped high to take the catch.

Rahul and Gill, who started the day on 14, attempted to rebuild in a partnership of 36 but Hartley broke through with his own left-arm spin.

Hartley had a bruising introduction to Test cricket when Jaiswal greeted him with a six on the first ball. He leaked 63 runs in nine overs on day one.

A loose shot from Gill got him caught at mid-wicket on 23 and an overjoyed Hartley celebrated with the team.

England played their attacking "Bazball" brand of cricket electing to bat and managed a fighting total courtesy of skipper Ben Stokes' 70, despite India's relentless spin onslaught.