Siraj rocks, Jaiswal slams ton as India take strong grip in 3rd Test
Rajkot: You got to love these blokes, Team India. On Saturday morning, the mood was sombre.. R Ashwin, proud owner of 500 Test wickets had to fly back home on Friday night to Chennai after his mother took ill. The fear was, he would be missed.
Perhaps, as a thanksgiving to Ashwin, Team India rocked and rolled in Rajkot on the third day of the third Test against England. Sample this, the English batters were going gaga over Bazball on Friday and Saturday, before there was a sudden slide. The way two bowlers, Mohd Siraj — swing, reverse swing, yorkers — plus Kuldeep Yadav mixed it up was brilliant to watch as they shot out the visitors for 319.
Once the Indians came out to bat, the young man in the form of his life, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill collared the English attack. At close, India were 196 for 2, an aggregate lead of 322 runs. There are still two more days to go in this Test, with India in the driving seat.
No narration is complete without a mention of the way Siraj has bowled. The lion-hearted fast bowler has been in and out of the Test team. He has not minded it. If Mohd Shami is out of this series due to a fitness issue and Jasprit Bumrah is the star strike bowler, as he showed in Vizag, Siraj has been sensational.
This is not the first time he has fired, nor will this be the last. The way Siraj prised open wickets was a delight as his rich haul of four for 84 was hard work. On a wicket which offered little to the bowlers, Siraj and Kuldeep had to create magic. In tandem, they struck vital blows.
The two were a study in contrast. Siraj has control, swing and knows where to bowl. There have been fast bowlers coming and going like Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan and Prasidh Krishna. Yet, Siraj has shown, he is in a different league. Certainly, international experience has helped him learnt the nuances of fast bowling and how to swing the ball.
Three years ago, in Australia, it was a hard tour, minus skipper Virat Kohli. In the ongoing series, there have been fitness issues galore. Yet, the spirit of leadership handled by Rohit Sharma and mentored by coach Rahul Dravid has ensured this team has immense self- belief. If Siraj was the master of moving the ball, Kuldeep knew where to bowl, what line and length and harangue the English batters with is left arm spin. His two wickets for 77 runs was creative.
In their second essay, India came out firing. There was no taking pressure. There were signs of Indians attacking, just that they do not call it any jargon like Bazball! Rohit got out early but the way Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill took charge was a sight to watch.
When Jaiswal scored a huge knock in the West Indies in 2023, it seemed ordinary as the rival attack was poor.
Yet, when Jaiswal hammered a double hundred in Vizag and then showed similar intent in the second innings in Rajkot, he is full of pedigree. A southpaw, he creates the shots majestically. The guy is a delight to watch as he bats with freedom and fluency.
To be collaring the prosaic English attack and smashing nine fours and five sixes had that touch of batting T20 style. Mind you, this was hammering the red ball, which had shine. Fans were told the Englishmen know how to use the red ball and they have great fast bowlers.
No, Jaiswal and a well-settled Gill, centurion in Vizag, were explosive. There was nothing in the pitch, really. Mark Wood may have been banging the ball short, but that was not intimidating at all. James Anderson looks tired and the English spinners looked far from menacing.
Jaiswal was batting on 104, when he retired hurt. There was no injury but the way the batter was going hammer and tong, his punitive blade in full flow, he had spent a lot of energy. The physio/trainer did come out to stretch his lower back and gave him a “salt pill” to consume with water to restore whatever sodium, potassium he may have lost through sweat.
Jaiswal hung around for a while and then decided to return to the pavilion. Nightwatchman Kuldeep Yadav was there at the crease when stumps were called. Gill is batting on 65 and has got his eye in. He will do well to concentrate hard when he comes out on Sunday morning and go for another ton.
Certainly, India will go into the dressing room, happy with the work done today.
The way injuries have haunted the team in three Tests and players have shaped up, this side looks fired up. A full two days play is there and India will look to score at a brisk pace on Sunday.
