The flat track at Vizag provided India with a golden opportunity to amass a substantial total in the first innings after winning a crucial toss and choosing to bat. However, England consistently took wickets at key intervals, disrupting the hosts’ progress and keeping the hope alive of restricting them to a below-par target.
Despite this, the Men in Blue approached the 250-run mark, thanks to a solid fourth-wicket partnership between centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutant Rajat Patidar, who contributed 70 runs.
Patidar, who had patiently accumulated 29 runs, appeared poised to capitalize on his efforts. Unfortunately, his innings came to an end when fellow debutant Shoaib Bashir, with a stroke of luck, dismissed him. Bashir, a tall off-spinner, delivered the first ball of the 72nd over at a good length. Patidar, batting on 32, confidently defended it with a forward stroke.
However, the revolutions on the red ball caused it to bounce underneath his bat and spin backward, ultimately dislodging the stumps. In a futile attempt to avoid dismissal, Patidar stretched a limp leg backward, but the SG ball struck the stumps with just enough force to displace a solitary bail from its groove.
— Glennmax (@maxglenn425) February 2, 2024
The visible disappointment on Patidar’s face mirrored the sentiments of cricket fans on Twitter, who mourned the end of his first innings in Test whites.