Rohit and Jadeja’s centuries has propelled India forward despite setbacks
On a docile batting track, India fought back admirably courtesy of centuries from Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, although England managed to maintain pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals.
India began the day on shaky ground despite winning the toss, losing both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to Mark Wood’s fiery spell early on.
Rajat Patidar’s dismissal to Tom Hartley compounded India’s woes, leaving them reeling at 33/3.
Despite the early setbacks, Rohit Sharma adopted a cautious approach before gradually upping the ante.
He survived a couple of close calls, including a missed chance by Joe Root at slip and an overturned LBW decision off James Anderson’s bowling.
Rohit’s calculated risks paid off as he notched up his 17th Test fifty, mixing solid defense with occasional boundary shots.
The promotion of Ravindra Jadeja to No. 5 proved beneficial for India, as the experienced duo of Rohit and Jadeja steadied the ship with a well-constructed partnership.
Despite England’s attempts to break the stand with reverse swing and spin, the Indian batsmen grew in confidence, capitalizing on loose deliveries.
Heading into the second session, Rohit and Jadeja remained unscathed, providing India much-needed stability.
The duo accelerated after the break, with Rohit reaching his 11th Test century.
However, just as the partnership seemed set to take the game away from England, Rohit fell victim to a well-executed short-ball strategy, miscuing a pull shot to midwicket off Wood.
With two debutants slated to follow, England sniffed an opportunity, only to be thwarted by Sarfaraz Khan’s spirited fifty.
The aggressive debutant took on the spinners, forming a vital 77-run partnership with Jadeja, who was inching towards his own century.
However, a mix-up between the two led to Sarfaraz’s run-out, dampening India’s momentum momentarily.
Despite the setback, Jadeja reached his hundred soon after, although Wood’s direct hit from mid-on left India frustrated as they concluded the day’s play.
Leave a Reply