Rohit, Jadeja lead India’s robust recovery against England in 3rd Test

PTI, Feb 15, 2024, 2:31 PM IST

RAJKOT: Skipper Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja dropped anchor on a benign track to lead a robust recovery for India, steering the hosts to 185/3 at tea on the first day of the third Test against England here on Thursday.

With Rohit (97 batting) bringing up his 17th Test fifty, first of the series, in a shared first session between the two opponents, Jadeja (68 batting) followed his captain’s feat in the second session with his 21st half-century.

Rohit and Jadeja cashed in on a batting-friendly surface here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, which had provided early troubles to India’s youngsters in the first session.

India were jolted early by Wood’s express pace and movement off the surface which saw the home team’s best batter in the series Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) walking back without contributing much.

Shubman Gill might have come to this match on the back of a match-winning hundred at Visakhapatnam but Wood had his number here for a naught.

Gill, who was beaten around the off-stump with a nip-backer, pushed a delivery that moved away with hard hands and Ben Foakes completed the easiest of the catches behind the stumps.

Gill’s stay lasted for just nine balls.

India’s woes worsened when No. 4 Rajat Patidar, who too had a few nervous moments against the England pacers, was outdone by a delivery that seemed to have stopped a bit after hitting the deck off spinner Hartley.

Patidar could not control his stroke as he ended up lobbing the ball to Ben Duckett at short cover, and India were at an uncomfortable 33 for 3 inside the first 10 overs.