Opportunity lost for England in Mohali

India went out of their way to play the consummate hosts, but England spurned the generosity and let the advantage slip on an eventful opening day of the third Test in Mohali.

Winning the toss that gave the tourists best use of a pitch that held no hidden demons - at least on the first day - was just what England wanted in their bid to square the five-Test series.

But not even four missed catches gave Alastair Cook's men any respite as the top order, barring teenage opener Haseeb Hameed, succumbed to reckless batting before the ever-dependable Jonny Bairstow steered his side away from a deeper hole with a brilliant 89 that allowed the next three wickets to add 171 runs.

A score of 8-268 at stumps would normally represent a missed opportunity, except that it would look magnified if the pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium deteriorates as widely predicted.

Quick Single: India on top despite Bairstow 81

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who removed Haseeb with a snorter that rose unexpectedly from a good length and then bowled Chris Woakes with the second new ball, was convinced England had squandered the initiative.

"I think the total could have been bigger because the ball is not turning," said Yadav. 

"There is some swing and good carry as well, but batting on this wicket is not difficult.

"And it should be good for batting on the second day."

Former England captain Michael Atherton felt the batsmen had let the side down.

"They will consider it a massive missed opportunity," said Atherton. 

"I don't think more than three deliveries spun sharply. One has to take advantage on winning the toss and England did not."

India may well have been batting before stumps if the bowlers had not been let down by poor catching.

Cook was missed on three by Ravindra Jadeja in the slips and then again on 23 by Ravichandran Ashwin, who put down a sitter at mid-wicket. 

But the lapses did not prove costly as the England captain fell for 27.

Quick Single: Stokes slapped on wrist for Kohli exchange

Bairstow was let off twice by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, who was returning to Test cricket after eight years due to a thigh injury suffered by Wriddhiman Saha during the second Test.

The first chance off Ashwin came when Bairstow was on 54. 

At least the second, off Jayant Yadav when on 89, did not matter as the batsmen was leg-before the very next delivery.

Umesh Yadav took the fielding lapses in his stride, saying dropped catches were part of the game.

"You know, sometimes team-mates take good catches, so it is okay if some catches are dropped," he said. 

"This happens in cricket. We as bowlers have to accept that and move on."

Off-spinner Jayant Yadav, who made an impressive debut with bat and ball in the previous Test in Visakhapatnam, once again shone through in the limited opportunities that skipper Virat Kohli gave him.

Jayant, brought on in the 13th over ahead of both Ashwin and Jadeja, had Joe Root leg-before in his second over but that did not seem enough to convince Kohli to give him more than three overs in the session between lunch and tea.

Jayant removed Bairstow a few overs before the second new ball was taken shortly before stumps, leaving the England tail to try and bail the visitors out on the second morning.

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