Without R Ashwin, India’s bowling resources were depleted and, after a mauling on day two, lacked confidence. Sarah Waris looks at how they showed the way with a commendable performance on Saturday.

The term ‘Bazball’ was in abundant use yet again after England, led by Ben Duckett, ran away to 207-2 in just 35 overs to trail by 238 runs at the end of day two in Rajkot. Duckett, in particular, stood out, with the third-fastest hundred against India in India. England scored at 5.91 runs an over.

Barring R Ashwin’s 500th wicket, there was little to take back for India from the day. Jasprit Bumrah lacked the usual sting with the new ball. Kuldeep Yadav had no answers to Duckett’s sweeps and reverse sweeps and went at seven runs an over. Mohammed Siraj bowled too wide, and was pounced at. Ashwin, admittedly, should have entered the attack earlier against the left-hander while the half-fit Ravindra Jadeja only bowled four overs.

Whatever India tried, failed. They attempted to bowl stump-to-stump but Duckett picked the line perfectly. They managed to beat the opener five times in the first four overs but his aggressive approach finally wore India down. Kuldeep sent down a wrong ‘un to Ollie Pope, who then decided to get to the pitch of the ball for big hits. Jadeja looked to bowl quicker but Pope played the audacious paddle-sweep and ‘Dilscoop’ behind the wicket as India were sent on the back foot.

These issues compounded overnight as Ashwin withdrew from the Test due to personal reasons. With no provisions for a full replacement, India went in with just four specialist bowling on Saturday, all of whom needed to stand up for the team more than ever. Having five bowlers ensures adequate cooling-off periods in between spells, allowing the captain more options to experiment. Here, India had a magical bowler in Bumrah but along with him were Kuldeep and Siraj, both prone to inconsistencies, and returning-from-injuryJadeja, bowling in a home Test for the first time without Ashwin alongside. The match, and the series, was slipping away and it needed something brilliant to usurp England.

Over the next 36.1 overs, the indomitable spirit of the hosts was on display as they staged a remarkable turnaround. The first session was highlighted by an economical extended spell by Kuldeep, who found grip, bounce and massive turn, mixing up his variations to leave the batters reeling. Following a changed action in his run-up, Kuldeep has been able to be more consistent with his lines and lengths. He dismissed Jonny Bairstow with a ball that turned 8.3 degrees, vindicating his skipper’s trust, who picked Kuldeep over Axar Patel for the Test because of the point of difference he brought in the attack courtesy of the huge turn he was capable of getting.

It could be argued that Kuldeep sent down an ordinary delivery to dismiss Duckett soon after, but he had come in with the tactic of bowling wider and fuller to him on day three, forcing him to reach out and hit over. Kuldeep also troubled Ben Stokes, drawing him out and then getting his googly to rip away from the England skipper.

He conceded only 35 runs in the 12 overs that he bowled on Saturday and his two wickets do not suggest how he had the rivals in a knot. From then on, it was a Siraj show as the quick registered his best figures at home. Before the Test, Siraj had a Test average of 31.85 in India at a strike rate of 60, having failed to create much of an impact at home. He had picked up just one wicket in his last seven innings at home and had gone wicketless five consecutive times. The argument against him was that he did not get the old ball to move enough.

Siraj got the ball to reverse swing on Saturday morning and together with Kuldeep ensured England’s scoring rate was stalled. After giving just 18 runs in six overs in the morning session, Siraj returned to pick up three wickets in three overs, starting with the big scalp of Ben Foakes, who played the delivery that came into mid-on. Rehan Ahmed fell to a beautiful yorker and then he repeated his dismissal of James Anderson from Lord’s in 2021, disturbing his off-stump as India dismissed England for 319.

Siraj ended up bowling 21.1 overs in the innings, the first time he sent down more than 15 at home, showing once again why he is the go-to player in the face of adversity, something that first came to the fore during the iconic Australia tour in 2020-21 when he starred in the series win for the ravaged Indian side.

In between, there was Bumrah and Jadeja. Bumrah got the crucial wicket of Joe Root once again while Jadeja handed India the match-changing scalp of Ben Stokes which sparked a dramatic collapse. But while they were always expected to take on the duties, what was heartening was to see them being sidelined by a couple of players who were not certain starters in the XI before the series began.

It was also about how India responded on day three. With their backs against the wall, they were proactive in all departments. The fielders dived and hung onto some fine catches. Rohit Sharma made some bold field placements and used his bowlers judiciously, also keeping the larger picture in mind. Bumrah and Kuldeep bowled uninterrupted till the drinks break in the first session, a period when they gave away 45 in 14 overs. While Siraj came in from Bumrah’s end post the break, Kuldeep continued, bowling 12 in a trot.

After lunch, Rohit started with Siraj, who was getting the ball to reverse, instead of increasing the workload on Bumrah, who had already clocked 72.5 overs in the Test series. In contrast, Jadeja, who admitted to not being fully fit, sent down the least number of overs among the ones available (10), with a maximum spell of six overs.

Siraj later revealed how each bowler wanted to play their part: “We had only four bowlers and we had a responsibility. We knew they would attack so we spoke about sticking together knowing that they would make a mistake. We didn’t plan anything much, we were waiting for them to make a mistake.”

Later, it was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliance that put the game firmly in India’s control, giving India a 322-run lead going into the fourth day. It was a proper flip from how things stood when news of Ashwin’s departure broke.

Day threes in a Test match are often described as the “moving day”, with the happenings largely deciding how the rest of the match goes. In Rajkot, India rose above the odds, put in a valiant display and wrested control of the game that was drifting away. To do it with 10 men makes it even more remarkable.

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