Following a masterful display of bowling from both Indian spinners and pacers throughout the morning and afternoon sessions, England found themselves dismissed for 319 in their second innings. In response, India encountered an early setback with Rohit Sharma falling victim to a successful review by England off Joe Root’s delivery.
However, the youthful duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill quickly recovered, despite Jaiswal’s flamboyant strokeplay conflicting with coach Rahul Dravid’s principles. As Jaiswal approached the 80-run mark by the end of the 32nd over, two team members swiftly entered the field, delivering a fresh pair of gloves to the left-handed batsman.
This routine tactic served as a subtle message from the team’s management to the players on the field. Commentators noted the intention might have been to encourage Jaiswal to temper his innings’ pace, considering he was nearing a century with ample time remaining in the Test match to play more cautiously.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn as Jaiswal defied the assumed message by executing reverse sweeps against good length and full-pitched deliveries from Rehan Ahmed on the third and fifth balls of the 33rd over. Both shots were played aerially towards the point and backward point regions.
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Soon, the camera panned to the dressing room, capturing a laughing Rathore patting Dravid on the shoulder. Despite Dravid’s potential disapproval of the risky approach, particularly with the match finely poised, he couldn’t conceal a smirk, causing a stir on social media.