No fowl play in wicket: Jennings

England opener Keaton Jennings has denied falling foul to a bizarre distraction the ball before his dismissal on day one of the first Test in Birmingham.

Jennings was out for 42 after lunch on Wednesday against India, but spent the preceding minutes of his demise shooing away a problematic pigeon.

The intruder, which was ushered along by Jennings and England skipper Joe Root, watched on from short midwicket as Jennings dragged India paceman Mohammed Shami onto his off-stump one ball later.

England batsmen have been tormented by pigeons for decades, primarily in the form of legendary Australia quick Glenn ‘Pigeon’ McGrath, but Jennings said his encounter with the annoying animal did not play a part in his downfall.

"The best players in the world have those lucky breaks go in their favour, but that’s the way it is," Jennings said after play concluded with England 9-285 after winning the toss.

"I’ve obviously made an error, misjudged the ball and it’s ended up on my stump. That’s the way it is.

"Thirty overs before, people were standing up behind the bowler’s arm, so you could say that distracted me as well.

"You refocus, you go through your own process between each ball. I wouldn’t say it distracted me at all.

"I suppose it just happens to be the ball before I got out that there’s a huge hoo-ha about a pigeon."

Jennings had put on 62 with Root before his unfortunate dismissal – the ball went from edge to body before trickling onto his off-stump.