IND vs ENG Day 3: R Ashwin grabs 500 Test Wickets; Ben Duckett slams a Century
Ben Duckett achieved the fastest century by an England batsman while R Ashwin claimed the 500th wicket in Test cricket.
On Day 2 of the 3rd Test match between England and India in Rajkot, premier batsman Ben Duckett showcased England’s fearless brand of Bazball cricket. In just 35 overs, Ben Stokes’ team reached 207-2. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his 500th Test wicket following tea in Rajkot. Before the third session ended, pacer Mohammed Siraj secured the vital wicket of Ollie Pope (39). Duckett’s century was the fastest by an England batsman in India. England trail India by 238 runs at Stumps on Day 2 in Rajkot.
Day 2 saw significant contributions from Dhruv Jurel (46), Ravichandran Ashwin (37), and Jasprit Bumrah (26), as India amassed 445 in the first innings. After England made early gains with the dismissals of Kuldeep Yadav (4) and Ravindra Jadeja (112) in the first hour of Day 2, Ashwin and Jurel combined for an eighth-wicket partnership of 77 runs. To neutralize the English danger, debutante Jurel displayed remarkable poise as well as admirable perseverance and fortitude. As Jurel adjusted to the situation, Ashwin, on the other hand, grabbed control of the scoring, and the two finally put together a fifty-plus run stand for the eighth wicket.
On Day 2, England’s James Anderson claimed his first wicket of the innings when he dealt India’s nightwatchman Kuldeep a blow by causing an outside edge. While Jadeja was looking for a flick shot, Joe Root outwitted him with a ball that spun quickly; instead, the ball finds a thick edge and returns straight to Root, who completed a perfect catch.
Rehan Ahmed claimed two wickets, quickly eliminating Ashwin and Jurel, although Mark Wood finished with the highest innings total, recording numbers of 4/114.
Earlier in the day, a 204-run partnership between Rohit and Jadeja, followed by a set of sword-swinging celebrations in honor of their fourth and eleventh Test centuries respectively, turned the tide completely. Then, as he misplayed a pull shot, Rohit’s strength unexpectedly turned to a weakness. England was expecting a typical surprise, but they fancied their prospects of causing another collapse of the middle-lower order in India.
In his first-ever Test match, Sarfaraz Khan gave England a taste of his own medicine by bazballing his way to a scorching fifty. Despite the tragic outing of the 26-year-old due to a misjudgment by Jadeja, India finished the day with a 326/5 total, with the latter remaining unbroken on 110.
But Sarfaraz stole the show, even with his centuries ahead of Rohit and Jadeja’s. The Mumbai batter demonstrated his capabilities in response to the mounting calls for his inclusion, which are not going away. He outperformed Jadeja, adding 43 of the first 50 runs the two scored together, displaying absolutely no jitters. He gave the impression of being a 50-Test veteran with the way he chipped down the wicket to the spinners and swept them carelessly. On the other hand, he would think about it considering the amount of work he has done on the home circuit.
After starting Test cricket with a single and not looking back, Sarfaraz did not glance back, even with his father and wife watching from the stands. Sarfaraz had the opportunity to score a century, and although his innings ended at 62, he gave a preview of what was to come.
There were no true demons on the Rajkot surface. Indeed, if Rohit’s response to Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal losing wickets for pennies on the dollar was any guide, Day 2 looks even better for batting. Having said that, there were a few deliveries from the England bowlers that their bowlers and their batsmen would be thinking about. As early as the twelfth over, Tom Hartley was able to produce grip and turn, and by the conclusion of the day, a few even managed to stay low. With a bat, Jadeja would be smacking his lips right now, hoping that his prediction of Ravichandran Ashwin taking his historic 500th wicket in Test matches comes true comes to pass.
Alternatively, there is the historic event of Stokes’ 100th Test.
