IND v ENG, 3rd Test: Centurions Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, fearless Sarfaraz Khan hurt England on Day 1
Cometh the hour, cometh the men! Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sarfaraz Khan stepped up for India when the team needed them the most on Day 1 of the 3rd Test against England in Rajkot.
India went from 33 for 3 to gatecrash the opening day of Ben Stokes’s 100th Test as the home side ended the day with 326 for 5, taking the honours on what was another enthralling day in the ongoing Test series.
England must have rued the missed opportunities, especially the dropped catch of Rohit Sharma on 27, as they fluffed an opportunity to put pressure on an inexperienced Indian batting line-up. | Rajkot Test, Day 1 Scorecard |
Rohit Sharma let his bat do the talking as he silenced his critics, hitting his 11th Test hundred. It was a captain’s knock as Rohit absorbed pressure after Mark Wood and Tom Hartley knocked off the Indian top order in the first hour of the day’s play. Rohit wrestled with his own emotions in the first session as he curbed his natural instincts and battled it out before he found his feet. Rohit’s gritty approach, which looked ugly, was important as he battled through the period in which the moisture on the pitch on Thursday morning was assisting the England bowlers.
Rohit Sharma, a compulsive puller, fell into England and Mark Wood’s trap, but the skipper had done his job, hitting 131 and landing the first punch on the opposition. It was Rohit’s grit and then free-flowing approach that helped India take the honours on the opening day as the dressing room began to look more relaxed as the captain settled into his stride at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
HOMETOWN HERO JADEJA STEPS UP
On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja proved he is more than just a floater as he hit his maiden hundred at No. 5 for India. The all-rounder, who was promoted to No. 5, relished the added responsibility as he remained unbeaten on 110.
Jadeja played a chanceless knock as he was solid against both spin and pace. The hometown hero batted as if he knew every blade of grass on the ground, stalling the English charge.
It was the 204-run partnership between Rohit and Jadeja that helped India fight back from the early setback and make sure they would post a respectable total on what seemed to be a good batting pitch.
The third hero of the day was undoubtedly Sarfaraz Khan. The man from the land of Bollywood had a dramatic opening day. The images of him embracing his father went viral as Naushad Khan was at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, watching his son get the long-awaited India cap from close quarters.
Naushad Khan also made his debut, in the commentary box as the proud father reflected on his son’s delayed India debut with a beautiful poem.
Even after getting his Test cap, Sarfaraz had to wait longer for his chance as Ravindra Jadeja made the most of his promotion. However, the 26-year-old never looked like he was on debut as he tore into the England bowling attack in the final session, making it paisa-vasool for the crowd that turned up to the stadium on a weekday.
Sarfaraz Khan’s fearlessness and the ease with which he played his shots left the cricket world in awe, making fans wonder why the young man did not get an opportunity to make his Test debut earlier.
However, the day ended on a bittersweet note as Sarfaraz Khan was run-out on 62 after a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja, who was batting on 99. It was Jadeja’s ill-timed call that led to Sarfaraz’s run-out — an unfortunate dismissal that dampened the mood in the dressing room with captain Rohit Sharma throwing his cap off in frustration.
Even Ravindra Jadeja toned down his celebration after getting to his fourth Test hundred, a gritty knock that has set-up the game nicely for India. Jadeja and nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav will resume the Indian innings on Day 2 with wicketkeeper-batter, another debutant in Dhruv Jurel and R Ashwin next to come.