On the first day of the third Test, India’s batting finally came together but not without an early alarm. Down at 33 for 3 on a pitch that was full of runs and with two debutants to follow, India were looking at possible trouble. But a 204-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja for the fourth wicket India’s first century stand of the series took them to 326 for 5 at stumps. Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja got centuries while Sarfaraz Khan made a sparkling debut, hitting 62 off 66, before being run-out.
The early-morning moisture that had assisted Wood possibly helped Tom Hartley grip one in his ninth over, which took the front edge from Rajat Patidar. A day before the Test, Ravindra Jadeja had said England were not a difficult side to beat. The team management asked him to go out and demonstrate it from No. 5 in the ninth over, the second-earliest he has walked in to bat in a Test innings, and the earliest in the first innings.
Brilliant Ravindra Jadeja silences the critics
A promotion to Ravindra Jadeja made double sense: protect the debutant Sarfaraz and also introduce a left-hand batter. Coming back from possibly the first time he has missed a Test with a hamstring injury, and having to deal with a family dispute gone public, Jadeja would have been excused for having a lot on his mind when he joined Rohit, but he batted with the most unencumbered mind: just purely reacting to the next ball in an old-school fashion.
Rohit, who had got off to a smashing start, had to do unconventional things at the start of the partnership. Wood tried to bounce him with a fine leg, a deep backward square leg and a deep forward square leg. For once, looking at the score and the situation, he decided not to hook and had to wear one in his helmet grille.
He charged at James Anderson to cut down the movement, on one occasion chipping one just out of mid-on’s reach. With Hartley, he flicked in the air and against the turn. The first attempt brought four, the second an edge to slip, which Joe Root dropped.
Rohit will argue this was just the luck he needed after the lack of it in the first two Tests. By then, the early movement had begun to die down. Just after that miscued chip off Anderson, Rohit went back to punch him through extra cover for four, an emphatic sign that he was in.
Ravindra Jadeja never looked less than in. The two took India to lunch without further bother. Just after lunch, Rohit became the 14th man in this series to hit a six. The added responsibility of being the leader of an inexperienced line-up had messed with his approach a little, but now though, we were seeing the usual Rohit. There were timely lofts, some paddle sweeps, and a lot of back-foot runs. His second six took him past MS Dhoni’s 78, with Virender Sehwag as the only Indian ahead of him.
Once there was spin from both ends, Ravindra Jadeja began to catch up too, hitting a six in the final over of the middle session, the first wicketless session of the series. Immediately after tea, Rohit brought up his 11th hundred with two easy couples off two short balls from Rehan Ahmed. For a long time, the team management would have hoped for the batters to not take risks and just benefit from the inevitable loose balls the inexperienced spin attack was bound to dish up. A little like how Rohit brought up his hundred.
It was happening now with ease, especially for Jadeja. England had to go back to Wood’s pace. A top edge from Jadeja cleared long leg, who was 20 yards in off the fence. Rohit was getting freebies from Rehan. Fifty runs came in 11 overs after tea without having to break a sweat. Then Rohit pulled one off Wood that was probably not short enough to pull. It skidded on, got big on him, and was caught at midwicket.
Out came Sarfaraz with whispers already around his game against quick short-pitched bowling. That Wood began with a deep fine third, two men deep on the hook, a short leg and a catching forward square leg suggested it was not a mere whisper. Around the wicket he went and looked to bounce Sarfaraz. He ducked the first three nonchalantly. Towards the end of his spell, Wood insisted on one more over. Sarfaraz ducked again before bunting the surprise yorker down the ground.
With pace out of the way, Sarfaraz displayed remarkable skill against spin, helped no doubt by Ben Stokes’ attacking fields. A series of one-twos followed: a loft over the infield followed by going deep into the crease to take a single off the seemingly inevitable shorter delivery. The feet moved perfectly according to the trajectory of the ball, the sweep was out early, and the lofts down the ground were executed perfectly. Before one realised, Sarfaraz had a fifty off 48, the joint second-quickest for an India debutant.
Another byplay had begun to develop. Jadeja had got stuck in the 80s and 90s. In the time that Sarfaraz scored 50, Jadeja had got only 12. He had three hundreds, but four dismissals between 80 and 99. He almost became passive. Had Hartley reviewed his lbw shout against Jadeja, he would have got him out lbw pad-first on 93.
Finally, on 99, Jadeja called Sarfaraz through for an impossible single and unsuccessfully sent him back. Looking at India still leaving the door ajar, Rohit threw his cap in disgust in the dressing room. Jadeja got to the hundred next ball, but the celebrations were subdued since Sarfaraz was gone just one delivery before. Jadeja knew there was more work to do on day two, walking back unbeaten on 110 with Kuldeep Yadav by his side.
This hundred on the back on return from injury at his home turf made Former Indian cricketer now commentator Sanjay Manjrekar had to mince his words on Jadeja’s promotion in the match.
I have to applaud Ravindra Jadeja- Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar admitted he wasn’t pleased with the move to promote Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Sarfaraz Khan at the time on the opening day of the third Test in Rajkot.
After missing the second Test with a hamstring injury, the all-rounder came into bat in the ninth over, with India reeling at 33/3 in their first innings. It was only the eighth instance of Jadeja batting at No.5 or higher in his 102 Test innings.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo at stumps on Day 1, Manjrekar credited Jadeja for capitalizing on the promotion in the batting order despite stating his disapproval of the move .
“Have to applaud Jadeja for what he did because batting him at No. 5 was something I didn’t like at the time. Just for a left-right combination when that has a huger impact in white-ball cricket and not as much in Test cricket. And can’t assume Sarfaraz Khan can’t play left-arm spin well when he might actually be brilliant against it. Always better to send your debutant, a pure batter, ahead of somebody like Jadeja,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
The 35-year-old displayed tremendous resolve to combat the English bowlers and score his fourth Test century. It was also Jadeja’s first at No.5, with his other three Test tons coming at No.7. Ranked No.1 in the world in Test all-rounders, the southpaw struck nine boundaries and two maximums in his innings.
Sanjay Manjrekar praises Ravindra Jadeja’s temperament
Sanjay Manjrekar praised Ravindra Jadeja’s temperament and the ability to back himself to play out time by trusting his defense like Cheteshwar Pujara.
The veteran all-rounder led India’s stunning recovery from 33/3 with a double century with skipper Rohit Sharma. Jadeja added a crucial 77 with debutant Sarfaraz to finish the day unbeaten on 110.
“The move to send Jadeja at No. 5 and it working was purely because of this interesting mindset he has got where he backs himself so much that he is able to just bat almost Pujara style on occasions. Because he knows he has a good enough defense, the shots and the reserves to get a 100. He has got a lot of these knocks where he takes his time and rides the tough passages, which is fascinating for someone to have such a temperament,” said Sanjay Manjrekar
Thanks to Jadeja and Rohit, Team India finished Day 1 in a dominant position of 326/5 in 86 overs.
Meanwhile, Mark Wood was the pick of England’s bowlers, with three crucial wickets and Jadeja will look to continue India’s charge on Day 2 against England.