The captain of India, Rohit Sharma, discussed the team’s biggest takeaway following the team’s 434-run victory over England at Rajkot on Day 4 of the third Test. The young players delivered when it mattered most.
Many congratulations to the young boys who have demonstrated character, shown that they belong at this level, and expressed a desire to fit in. Bench strength is something we discuss and have seen in this series. With two Test matches remaining, the team took a 2-1 lead in the series. “It’s a good feeling to win a game after being down 33 for 3 in the first innings,” Rohit remarked.
The young players’ performances gave India hope for a successful future for the Test team.Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, became the third youngest person to hit two double hundreds (the youngest being Vinod Kambli, and the second youngest being Don Bradman).
Sarfaraz Khan, 26, made sure he capitalized on his Test debut with two half centuries, and Shubman Gill, 24, who began the series under pressure, turned things around with a hundred in the previous Test and a 91 in this Test’s second innings.
England were shot out for 122 in their second innings while chasing a target of 557 runs; it was reminiscent of a bygone era when English batsmen would crumble into a heap after their bowlers gave runs to Indian batsmen.
After two close Test matches, where England won hearts with their attacking bat and ball strategy, it was the nineties all over again.
Following the victory, there were only a few quiet handshakes and gentle back pats as the Indian players filed into the dressing room. Raising his arms in the air, Ravindra Jadeja celebrated his performance and the victory as the last wicket fell. With a game-changing hundred in the opening over and a five-for in the second, England was bowled out in under forty overs.
There were a few dramatic moments in the match, starting with India falling to 33 for 3 on the first morning of play and ending with R Ashwin having to leave the match in the middle of the second day due to a family emergency on the evening of Day 2, after reaching the incredible milestone of 500 Test wickets. Sunday morning, he returned to the team; according to Rohit, “it shows his character to put the team ahead.”
However, Jadeja would end up being named man of the match after matching his first-inning century with a five-for in the second inning to bowl out England for 122.
The match will also make people wonder about England’s Bazball attack strategy. Did they get carried away or overcook it? Two specific moments on the third day would be highlighted.
Joe Root reverse swept Jasprit Bumrah to second slip as England cruised to 224 for 2, tracking India’s first-inning total of 434. Soon after, their captain Ben Stokes slugged to long-on as they appeared to be on the rebound, reaching 299 for 5. To cap off England’s banana-peel of a day, the imperious centurion Ben Duckett carved a wide delivery straight to cover in between.
“Joe Root’s dismissal was the turning point because he got out to it,” Stokes acknowledged. It’s not a shot that you always see players in Test matches making. However, who am I to question a man with nearly 12,000 Test match runs and 30 Test match hundreds? I believe he is competent in his field.
Stokes would also assert that England will not abandon their aggressive strategy, popularly referred to as “Bazball.” “No, not at all. We’re going outside to play freely. Just take a look at the execution—there is no need to make any changes.”
On the first day, the hosts were struggling with a flat pitch and were down 33 for 3. However, the seniors saved the day when Jadeja and Rohit combined for 204 runs at hundreds. India’s position was precarious even then, but Sarfaraz struck a brilliant 66 off 66 balls to not only solidify India’s lead but also demonstrate how to counter England’s spinners on this particular track.
Jaiswal took the cue from his first double century and followed it by smashing the bowlers in the second innings to put India in an unbeatable position. The fact that Jaiswal and Sarfaraz, two young players in this series, have given three of the more encouraging knocks of intent speaks volumes.
As the series went on, there was concern that India might be eliminated because of the inexperience of the players, but the fact that the younger players are starting to take charge will cheer the team management. Particularly following Axar Patel’s and Shreyas Iyer’s ball-handling mishaps (Iyer was dropped).
It’s a good thing that winning a test requires four or five days of intense work. In the second and third Tests, we executed our plans well, using both the bat and the ball, and we also made some excellent catches, Rohit stated.
India ultimately prevailed thanks to an all-around effort, while England—despite their public denials—needs to reflect on their actions.
