Centuries from skipper Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110), and half centuries from Sarfaraz Khan (56) and the debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) helped India to a match-dominating position in the Dharamsala Test, as the hosts batted throughout the second day to amass a lead of 255 over England with two wickets still standing. At stumps, India reached 473 for 8, as India’s ninth-wicket pair of Kuldeep Yadav (27 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (19) successfully navigated a way to the close.
The day was special for English skipper Ben Stokes, who claimed the wicket of Rohit with his first delivery of the series, having not bowled competitively since the second Test of last year’s Ashes. A sharply seaming ball that hit Rohit’s off stump as he resumed his innings after the lunch break brought some relief to the English camp as it ended a sedate 171-run stand for the second wicket between Sharma and Gill.
Young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir impressed once again, with his 44-over stint matching the first innings in Ranchi for his longest in first-class cricket. He was initially unfortunate to have missed Rohit’s wicket when the India captain was batting on 68, after Zak Crawley missed a sharp chance at leg slip. Bashir might also have been able to celebrate a second five-for in only his third Test if Stokes held on to Kuldeep’s catch in the slips on the final over of the day.
Resuming at 135 for 1, the Indian pair of Rohit and Shubman added 129 runs in the morning session without losing a wicket, and in the process going past England’s first innings score of 218. However, immediately after the break, Rohit fell to Stokes, and soon Shubman followed him back to the dressing room after giving James Anderson his wicket No.699 in Tests. India’s lead at that stage was 61, but any sense of an opportunity for England was snatched by another stellar batting performance by two youngsters featuring in their debut Test series.
Padikkal, at No. 4, initially found the boundary with regularity while Sarfaraz bedded in. Having moved watchfully to 9 off 30 balls, Sarfaraz switched gears with a flurry of attacking shots to raise his third Test half-century. Mark Wood was dispatched into the crowd before Sarfaraz took on Tom Hartley with the second new ball as India extended their lead beyond 150 at tea.
After the breather, England struck once again with Bashir having Sarfaraz caught at slip attempting to cut the first ball back before Padikkal nonchalantly lofted the Somerset offie for a six over long-on to bring up his maiden fifty but he, too, could not go on as Bashir caught him on the crease with one that turned to hit the top of off stump.
Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel (15) holed out to give Bashir his fourth before left-arm spinner Hartley struck twice in the following over, to pack back Ravindra Jadeja (15) for lbw before R Ashwin perished for a duck. Kuldeep and Bumrah then joined forces to see off the final 19 overs of the day before heading unscathed.
For the Englishmen, already trailing 1-3 in the series, it has once again been a day when they waited for the Indian batters to make the mistakes, instead of rushing in the home side.