After England dominating two days of fourth Test at Ranchi, the Indian team made an arousing comeback on Day 3. Rohit Sharma and his Indian team are within reach of securing a 3-1 series lead against England, with just 152 runs needed for victory. The Indian bowlers delivered a commanding performance, dismissing England for 145 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin shone brightly with the ball, claiming his 35th five-wicket haul in Test cricket for India.
The seasoned bowler faced scrutiny after failing to make an impact during the first innings of the match. Kuldeep Yadav also impressed, taking four wickets for the Indian team. On the batting front, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal displayed solid performances as Team India concluded the day at 40 runs without losing any wickets. Ben Stokes and his team will aim to mount a comeback against a determined Indian side on the fourth day of play.
Dhruv Jurel leads India’s fightback and Shoaib Bashir with fifer star in Session 1
Team India still trailed England by 134 runs began the day at 219/7. James Anderson eventually ended the 76-run partnership between Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep Yadav was dismissed for 28 after facing 132 deliveries. However, this setback didn’t deter Dhruv Jurel, who continued to aggressively challenge the bowlers.
The young wicketkeeper achieved his maiden Test fifty before being dismissed for 90. India’s innings concluded at 307, granting England a lead of 46 runs. Emerging as a standout performer for England, young Shoaib Bashir secured his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The spinner concluded with figures of 5/119 from his 44 overs, playing a pivotal role in England’s dominance on the second day of play.
A Salute for his father. ???
– Dhruv Jurel is making his father proud who is a Kargil war veteran.pic.twitter.com/Q4GVIJLRAE
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 25, 2024
Shoaib Bashir wickets:
Amitabh Choudhary end – 5 wickets.
MS Dhoni end – 0 wickets. pic.twitter.com/xyAHn1BFAE
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 25, 2024
India Spinners dominant Session 2 and Session 3
With a lead of 46 runs, the English team emerged determined to assert their dominance over India. Ben Duckett made a promising start, scoring 15 runs off 15 balls before Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed him, caught at forward short-leg. In a dramatic turn, Ollie Pope suffered a pair, being trapped LBW by Ashwin on the very next ball. Despite his earlier century, Joe Root fell for just 11 runs, also LBW to Ashwin. However, England opener Zak Crawley proved resilient against the Indian bowlers, capitalizing on his height to confidently dispatch boundaries.
The star England opener showcased his prowess with an impressive half-century, even as wickets fell around him. The promising partnership between Crawley and Jonny Bairstow seemed poised to thwart India’s efforts, but Kuldeep Yadav ended Crawley’s innings at 60 with a sharply turning delivery. Ravindra Jadeja then dismissed Bairstow for 28 in the first ball after the Tea interval. England faced further setbacks as Ben Stokes and Ollie Robinson fell within a span of three balls, leaving the team in a precarious position.
Although Ben Foakes and Shoaib Bashir held on for 74 balls, their resistance was eventually broken. Ashwin claimed the wicket of Foakes for 17 before wrapping up the innings by dismissing Anderson for a duck. Heading into their innings, India’s openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma displayed confidence, with Sharma adopting an aggressive approach against the English bowlers. At the close of play, India stood at 40/0 from 8 overs, still requiring 152 runs for victory with two days of play remaining.
India 40/0 on Day 3 Stumps.
– India need 152 runs.
– England need 10 wickets.India starts as favourites on Day 4 – let's seal the series tomorrow, Rohit and Jaiswal. ?? pic.twitter.com/l967w6B3on
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 25, 2024
