England bravely faced a daunting new ball onslaught of extravagant swing and seam bowling, reaching Lunch at a relatively comfortable 100/2, with Zak Crawley impressing with an unbeaten half-century.
Crawley survived a couple of close calls, notably against Kuldeep Yadav, but eventually fell victim to the wrist-spinner shortly after the break. However, a questionable decision not to review by Rohit Sharma spared Crawley, setting off a chain of amusing events.
Kuldeep tempted Crawley with a delivery down the leg side, resulting in a faint edge and a spectacular catch by Sarfaraz at short leg. Despite Sarfaraz’s impassioned appeal to Rohit, the umpire remained unmoved. Replays later confirmed Sarfaraz’s assertion, much to Rohit’s chagrin and Sarfaraz’s amusement.
In another instance, Joe Root attempted to flick a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, only to be struck on the thigh before the ball reached Jurel. Though Jurel was convinced of a bat involved, a comical shrug from Sarfaraz dissuaded Rohit from pursuing the appeal.
— Grahman (@Grahman326048) March 7, 2024
— Grahman (@Grahman326048) March 7, 2024
This time, Rohit trusted Sarfaraz’s judgment, remarking to him on the stump mic, “If you say yes, I’ll take it; if you say no, I won’t.” The exchange sparked a flurry of reactions on Twitter.