A few minutes before the second session of the third Test started on Day 4 in Rajkot, Yashasvi Jaiswal was at the striker’s end. The England fielders were also on the field, but yet to take position. James Anderson was still to reach the top of his run-up.
Jaiswal was batting on 149, having come back at the fall of Shubman Gill, after retiring hurt the previous evening. He was looking for runs before lunch, without being outwardly aggressive. Now, he was doing a few things which opening batters usually don’t. He was shadow-practising heaves — towards square on the leg-side, mid-wicket, long-on, straight and even over the extra-cover region.
People in the stands were watching this. “He’s going to cut loose,” someone said. What followed was beyond the expectations of everyone. Cut loose Jaiswal did, in a manner few can. It took everyone by surprise and left the Englishmen in the field and in the stands dumbstruck.
The full arc of shots he was practising was covered in one over from Anderson. A full toss on leg-middle was deposited behind deep square-leg. The next one was lifted over deep extra-cover on one knee — the most outrageous of shots against a bowler of the quality and experience of Anderson. A straight six over the bowler’s head followed.
Sarfaraz Khan was not to be left behind. He attacked the spinners with vigour and kept piercing the leg-side field which had enough protection. This was an exhibition of savage batting, with the intention to demolish and demoralise from both ends. The propagators and supporters of Bazball were shell-shocked.
At lunch, India had a lead of 440 runs. Against any other team they would have been happy to declare the innings at that stage and give their bowlers five sessions on what was still a good pitch. Here, they looked intent on rubbing salt and pepper to the English wounds. ‘This is what we can do your bowlers, including your best one,’ seemed to be the unspoken announcement.
A dominant performance from Rohit Sharma and Co to bag a massive 434 runs win in the 3rd test of the #INDvsENG series!
Join in for the post match discussion! 👇 https://t.co/TTpiny14ND
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 18, 2024
In batting’s equivalent of some irreverent use of heavy artillery, Jaiswal and Sarfaraz pounded the bowlers for 114 runs in 16 overs. The former made 65 off 47 with four fours and five sixes in this period. Sarfaraz’s contribution of 46 off 49 with four fours and two sixes was more this worldly. Both slowed down and ran or did not run the singles when Jaiswal was approaching his double.
It appeared to be a deliberate attempt to shatter the morale of the England team, which came to this series riding a wave of success of their next-age cricket based on out and out aggression, which was on display even in the first innings of this Test. Rohit Sharma seemed to be nurturing the idea of paying back in the same coin.
What Jaiswal and Sarfaraz did bettered the best of Bazball seen in the first three Tests. The difference was, they did not do it from the outset. Unlike the visiting batters, they took their time to settle down. They showed respect to the bowlers when it was due. There were no reverse sweeps from the first ball or scoops when the situation did not warrant.
Once they played themselves in, Rohit perhaps decided that ‘now is the time to teach them a lesson’. He wanted his batters to toy with the bowling and say ‘what you can do we can do better’. This assault had two effects. It took this Test beyond England’s wildest dream and crushed their already battered spirits. The total surrender by the England batters was an outcome of the second.
This can have a decisive impact on the remainder of the series. Up 2-1 following this landslide 434-run win, the Indians will believe they have got a measure of their opponents. After losing the first Test from a winning position, they have posted a convincing win and an overwhelming one. They know what works for them and what doesn’t for England.
Psychologically, and that is an important element in sports, they have claimed the upper hand. Trouncing a team without a clutch of first-choice players and with a few rookies is a massive boost. As for England, they have only a few days to recover from this pummelling and come to terms with some bitter truths. They have been outplayed and outwitted in their own game.
For sports related information CLICK HERE- https://revsportz.in/