IND vs ENG: 3rd Test – Day 1 Talking Points – Rohit-Jadeja rescue India
India won the toss and elected to bat first in the third Test on what seemed to be a belter of a track in Rajkot. The first hour belonged to the tourists but India bounced back on the back of a couple of excellent partnerships.
Mark Wood bowled a fantastic spell with the new ball to dismiss Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in quick succession. Tom Hartley was introduced in the ninth over and he responded by dismissing Rajat Patidar off his fifth ball. India were in all sorts of trouble at 33/3 and needed a partnership that would resurrect the innings.
Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja provided just that as their 204-run stand put England on the back foot. The Mumbai batter was dismissed for 131 but debutant Sarfaraz Khan joined forces with Jadeja and the duo put on 77 runs, 62 of them coming from the bat of the young right-handed batter. A miscommunication led to Sarfaraz getting run out. Jadeja notched up his fourth Test century and remained unbeaten on 110 at Stumps, with nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav for company. The hosts finished at 326/5 from the 86 overs that were bowled.
3. Shubman Gill fails to build on the Rajkot century
The Punjab batter scored a crucial century in the second innings of the second Test in Vizag and helped India set a mammoth target that proved to be too many for England. It seemed as if Gill’s long run of dismal form had ended with that knock. However, he didn’t look at ease during his nine-ball duck as both James Anderson and Wood caused him all sorts of problems. This was the second time he failed to get off the mark in the series.
2. Rohit Sharma storms back into form
The Indian captain stood tall and helped his team recover from a difficult situation. Having seen three wickets falling around him, Rohit mixed caution with aggression and formed a sensational partnership alongside Jadeja. He hit 14 fours and three sixes during his knock of 131 off 196 balls, which ended when he hooked a bouncer from Wood straight to Ben Stokes at mid-wicket. Indian fans will breathe easy after watching the talismanic batter return to form.
1. Ravindra Jadeja going from strength to strength with the bat
On his home ground, Jadeja was sent up to bat at No. 5 and he made excellent use of the opportunity. The southpaw remained unbeaten on 110 off 212 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes. He ran some quick singles and doubles throughout the day and kept the scoreboard ticking. Apart from James Anderson’s probing spell in the early goings of the second session, Jadeja looked at ease and didn’t spare the loose balls. He will have an important role to play on Day 2.
