London – India lost openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay cheaply but recovered to 76 for two at lunch in reply to Derbyshire’s 326 for five declared on the second day of their three-day tour match at Derby on Wednesday.
In their final match before next week’s first of a five-Test series against England at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground, India saw Dhawan and Vijay fall within the space of five balls.
The tourists, in what could be a guide to their Test line-up, omitted the experienced Gautam Gambhir from their top four as Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli shared an unbroken stand of 58 to prevent further loss before lunch.
Derbyshire seamer Mark Turner struck the first blow for the Midlands county when he had Vijay (six) lbw on the back foot.
Turner’s new-ball partner Ben Cotton, during the course of an impressive opening spell of one for six in eight overs, then had Dhawan, pushing forward, caught behind – also for six.
Kohli, who needed 10 balls to get off the mark, had a scare on 18 when in the first over from Greg Cork – the teenage son of former England seamer Dominic – he edged low but just short of Chesney Hughes at slip. – Sapa-AFP