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Tour Match: India batsmen enjoy day two against Derbyshire

DERBY, ENGLAND - JULY 2:  Cheteshwar Pujara of India in action during day two of the tour match between Derbyshire and India at The 3aaa County Ground on J
Image: Cheteshwar Pujara: typically unhurried knock

India's Cheteshwar Pujara made an impressive 81 as he found some form for next week's first Test on day two of the tourists' final warm-up match against Derbyshire.

Two wickets in five balls for Mark Turner and first-team debutant Ben Cotton left India 18 for two, in reply to 326-5 at the County Ground.

But a characteristically unhurried Pujara gradually took control in stands of 63 with Virat Kohli and 119 with Mahendra Singh Dhoni - before all-rounder Stuart Binny (81no), uncapped at Test level, consolidated as India were able to declare at stumps on 341-6.

The tourists appeared to show their hand for the five-Test Investec series against England, with no place for Gautam Gambhir in the top six.

Turner was significantly the most experienced of the home seam attack on the middle day here, and he was the first wicket-taker too - trapping Murali Vijay (six) lbw on the back foot.

Turner's new-ball partner Cotton made an impressive start and was rewarded in a spell of 8-4-6-1 with the wicket of India's other opener Shikhar Dhawan - who pushed forward and edged behind to also exit for six.

It took Kohli 10 balls to get off the mark, with a single to cover off Cotton.

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India's poster boy had a moment of concern on 18 when - in the first over from Greg Cork, teenage son of former England bowler Dominic - he edged low but marginally short of Chesney Hughes at slip.

There were no further concerns as India's third-wicket pair closed out the morning, but Kohli did not last long after lunch.

Twenty-year-old Cotton, back for more, struck again and bagged a highly-prized scalp too as Kohli (36) tried to leave a tight line but instead chopped the ball down on to off-stump.

Dhoni surprisingly promoted himself to number five, to good effect, as his unorthodox attack proved an ideal complement to Pujara.

Risks

The India number three's tried-and-trusted method is to take few risks and wait for bowlers to tire.

Cotton duly did so as, having bowled 11 overs for eight runs, he conceded three off-side fours in his 12th to Pujara - who brought up his 98-ball half-century soon afterwards.

Dhoni (46) took one liberty too many with David Wainwright, who deceived the India captain in the flight to bowl him leg-stump on the charge.

Pujara then promptly retired himself out, for the second match in succession after doing so for 57 at Leicester last week.

It therefore fell to Ravindra Jadeja and Binny to push for parity or better.

The left-hander was dropped at slip by Hughes off Cork on nought and went on to dominate a partnership of 88 until he fell for 45 to an outstanding head-high diving catch by Turner at short extra-cover off Wainwright.

Derbyshire decided against a second new ball, but could not stop Binny accelerating proceedings in an 89-ball half-century.

It was he too, with some late hitting off Wainwright, who ensured first-innings honours after all for the tourists and a head start for the final day when 90 more overs are scheduled in an even split for both teams.

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