On the second day of the opening Test, India further asserted their dominance over England with noteworthy performances from KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, propelling the team well beyond the visitors’ initial innings total of 246.
The lead surpassed 100, with five wickets still in hand for the Men in Blue. KS Bharat was in good form, partnering with the Saurashtra batter. However, a tense moment arose when Jadeja, just one run shy of the 50-run mark, faced a scare.
In the 81st over, Joe Root delivered a straight full ball to the left-hander, who hung back on his backfoot, aiming to guide it towards the leg side. The shot didn’t go as planned, and the SG ball thudded into Jadeja’s pads, seemingly trapping him in front of the stumps.
Umpire Paul Reiffel raised his finger to confirm the dismissal. Yet, as the cameras turned to Jadeja, disbelief was evident on his face. He took a moment to lock eyes with the umpire before emphatically signaling for a referral.
— Glennmax (@maxglenn425) January 26, 2024
Upon reviewing the replays, it became apparent that a substantial portion of the bat had made contact with the ball, resembling more of the bat angling the ball onto the pads than an inside edge.