Rajkot: It’s day four of the third Test between India and England in Rajkot. It’s hot. Having already established their dominance in the game, the management decided to let a couple of young batters have fun. They then let the bowlers have a crack at England with 40-odd overs left in the day.
Both parties were satiated because they had India pick up a 434-run win and a 2-1 lead in the five-match series while having a jolly good time.
India had scored 430 for 4 in 98 overs at a strike rate of 4.38 in their second innings. England were in pursuit of 557 runs with little over four sessions left in the Test match.
Remember when James Anderson said they could chase as much as they wanted because their ‘novel’ approach had no defined boundaries?
Given their success in pursuits, it didn’t seem the paceman’s assertions were entirely exaggerated - which in itself is a credit to England - but what happened on Sunday was the dark side to an ideology which borders on reckless.
‘Bazball’ got them to 319 in response to India’s first-innings tally of 445.
‘Bazball’ saw them bowled out for 122 all out in 39.4 overs in the second innings.
While this was India’s biggest victory by margin of runs, the way it came about was refreshing, and occasionally comical even.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, 22, was on the cusp of his double-century, the second in his seven-Test career. Sarfaraz Khan, 26, was a couple of runs away from his second half-century on his debut.
It’s over No.93.4. Sarfaraz cuts the ball and pushes the first run. He’s halfway down the pitch on the second when he sees Jaiswal isn’t going for it. Sarfaraz isn’t happy. Jaiswal is all shrugs.
This isn’t the first time there has been confusion in the running between wickets between these two. Even the dressing room is laughing because they’re watching two Mumbaikars get on each other for something so silly.
But when Sarfaraz (68 n.o.) got to his half-century, Jaiswal celebrated. When Jaiswal (214 n.o.) got to his double, Sarfaraz leapt at the other end. That quaint image was capped off by them walking off with their hands over the other’s shoulder before Sarfaraz asked Jaiswal to lead the way.
Actually, it was the second time they were coming off the field because the first time around skipper Rohit Sharma still had his spikes in his hands and hadn’t signalled them to return, and so he animatedly asked them to go back and play. Hilarious.
An over later, they were coming off for real. In the end, the duo added an unbeaten 172 runs from 158 balls before India declared.
There were some engaging passages of play during the first two days, and a session on the third, but there on, it was all India. They battered England’s bowlers to reach 196 for 2 at stumps, establishing a lead of 322, on Saturday, and Sunday was a chance for them to bury England under an avalanche of runs. They did.
It was unfortunate that Shubman Gill (91) couldn’t cash in on the situation because he looked in fine touch before getting himself run out. But Jaiswal, who retired hurt due to a back spasm last evening, came out and used the platform as if a dress rehearsal for the Indian Premier League.
Sarfaraz wasn’t as convincing as he had been in the first innings. Still, this will do, reckoned Rohit. The skipper was right.
Ravindra Jadeja bagged five wickets (15th fifer in Tests), the rest did their part, and R Ashwin returned to bowl after attending to his now-fine mother. It all worked out rather well in the end. Not for England though.