At times Bazball can hurt Baz’s team as it becomes a case of ‘you live by the sword, you die by the sword.’
On Saturday, young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal paid England back in kind with a scintillating century that would make the English head coach Brendon McCullum proud — which was evident when the former New Zealand skipper applauded the young southpaw when he walked back after retiring hurt on 104 off 133 balls, due to a back issue, six overs before stumps.
Jaiswal’s knock was an impressive display of power-hitting and matched that of Friday evening’s hero Ben Duckett. He made up for the watchful start that saw him scoring his first 35 runs off 73 deliveries before turning on the heat to reach 88 off 101, which means he slammed 53 runs in just 28 balls.
At stumps, Shubman Gill walked back undefeated on 65 with night watchman Kuldeep Yadav (3 not out) in company as India raced to 196 for 2, for an overall lead of 322 runs.
Against an England attack that is relatively shallower, less experienced and less accurate, the southpaw hit them to all parts: hooks, sweeps, reverse-sweeps, lofts down the ground, and the cut in front of the wicket to bring up his third Test hundred and help India almost bat England out of the game.
The 22-year-old showcased a notable shift in his approach once his opening partner Rohit Sharma departed after adding 30 runs for the first wicket, and gradually asserted himself to help the hosts seize control of the game. On a pitch favouring the batters, Jaiswal effectively redeemed himself from his early dismissal in the first innings; during the 27th over, he showcased his dominance by smashing three consecutive boundaries – a six followed by two fours – against the experienced James Anderson. He reached half century by smashing spinner Tom Hartley for a massive six wide off long-on.
Once Joe Root, who now has more overs under his belt than runs in the series, managed to trap Rohit for a 28-ball 19, Jaiswal and Shubman Gill thwarted England’s attempt to gain control over the proceedings, and absorbed the best England had to offer, getting to 75 for 1 in 26 overs. Jaiswal looked at ease, Gill seemed to have started back and across to try to cover the off stump better.
Jaiswal at the other end was unstoppable, launching Root for a six before reverse-sweeping Rehan Ahmed for two boundaries to match England’s response to Indian spinners. In a flash,
Jaiswal raced to the three figure mark with a cut in front of square off Wood after consuming 122 deliveries. The century marked Jaiswal’s second three-figure score in the series, following his remarkable double century in the previous Test in Visakhapatnam.
Gill remained the silent partner against Jaiswal’s ruthless approach but reminded everyone he was around when he pulled Wood for a six to bring up his fifty off 98 balls. He scored just 57 in the 155-run stand, which was halted after Jaiswal retired hurt with back pain, to probably save him for next week’s Test in Ranchi.
Earlier, resuming the day at 207 for 2, England might have breathed a sigh of relief after finding off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrawing from the contest overnight due to a family medical emergency. But the Indian attack was good enough to pick eight wickets in a session and a half as the hosts roared back from the shock of a sensational Duckett hundred on day two.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2/77) kept things tight in the first session and, more importantly got the prized scalp of Duckett after the opener added 20 to his overnight score of 133, as England lost three wickets for the addition of 83 runs by lunch. Mohammed Siraj (4/84) then capitalised on the advantage in the second session, and gave India a handy 126-run first innings lead after bundling the opposition for 319. Local boy Ravindra Jadeja (2/51) also chipped in with a couple of wickets.