Moeen Ali century hands England the advantage in Chennai

The first day of the fifth and final Test between India and England in Chennai began with some apprehension about how the pitch would play.

There was doubt if there would be moisture, if it would be under-prepared given the effects of the cyclone in the city. But by the end of the day, England couldn’t be happier with the way it played out.

Moeen Ali registered his fourth Test hundred of the year and remained unbeaten on 120 while Joe Root (88) and Jonny Bairstow (49) too made important contributions along the way as England finished with a strong 284 for four.

Brief Scores: England 255/4 (Moeen Ali 95*, Joe Root 88, Jonathan Bairstow 49; Ravindra Jadeja 3-71) v India