On the third day of the riveting third Test between India and England in Rajkot, Jasprit Bumrah, the linchpin of India’s pace attack, made an impactful start, snagging the prized wicket of Joe Root early on. Facing a daunting challenge following England’s formidable batting display on the previous day, India relied heavily on their bowling prowess.
After England’s blistering response to India’s hefty first-innings total of 445 runs, reaching 207/2 in just 35 overs, the pressure was on the Indian bowlers to strike early and disrupt England’s momentum. Ben Duckett’s stellar unbeaten knock of 133 runs off 118 balls had propelled England’s charge.
With Duckett and Root opening the batting on the third day, India faced a tough task, compounded by the absence of their spin maestro Ravichandran Ashwin, who withdrew from the Test due to a family emergency. In Ashwin’s void, the responsibility fell on Bumrah’s shoulders to spearhead the attack once more, and the speedster rose to the occasion admirably.
ALSO READ: Team India Honors Late Dattajirao Gaekwad With Armband Tribute In Rajkot Test
India got the breakthrough they desperately needed when Bumrah accounted for the dismissal of Joe Root. Attempting a reverse-lap shot, Root failed to connect cleanly, resulting in an edge towards second slip. Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased exceptional reflexes, executing a splendid juggling act to secure the catch.
Lightning reflexes from Jaiswal! ⚡️👏
A bright start for Bumrah & #TeamIndia 😍💪 on Day 3! 🔥#INDvENG #JioCinemaSports #BazBowled #IDFCFirstBankTestSeries pic.twitter.com/y4FwWbIX5K
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) February 17, 2024
This dismissal marked another instance of Bumrah’s dominance over Root in Test cricket, with the Indian bowler now having dismissed the England stalwart 9 times in 21 innings. Impressively, Bumrah has already claimed Root’s wicket thrice in the ongoing series, underlining his prowess against one of England’s premier batsmen.
ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin Withdraws From Rajkot Test Due To Family Emergency
As the Test progressed, England found themselves at 226 for 4, with Kuldeep Yadav further bolstering India’s position by dismissing Jonny Bairstow for a duck, further tipping the scales in India’s favour.
BUMRAH STRIKES AND GETS JOE ROOT…!!!!
What a superb reaction catch by Yashasvi Jaiswal. pic.twitter.com/ESDctkVA3p
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 17, 2024
JASPRIT BUMRAH OWNS JOE ROOT.
GOT HIM FOR THE 9TH TIME IN TEST CRICKET. pic.twitter.com/sgoMy12GoJ— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) February 17, 2024
Bazball destroyed or Spoiled the England best batters of this generation.!
This is not the Joe Root the Cricket knows, he should Stick to his Orginal Game
In the absence of Ravi Ashwin, Bumrah has the big Void to fill and he didn’t disappoint#INDvsENGpic.twitter.com/JfwkHgRplR
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) February 17, 2024
Same Same?? 🤪🤪 #JoeRoot #IndvEng pic.twitter.com/htnEuTbySm
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 17, 2024
Bumrah gets Joe Root for the 9th time in Tests. 🫡
– A terrific catch by Jaiswal….!!!!pic.twitter.com/cCxRTFZbkU
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 17, 2024
🚨Joe Root is set to move from his house in England. He has found a permanent residency in Bumrah’s pocket.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/AVZnrwIMbh
— Vaibhav Hatwal ◟̽◞̽ 🤧 (@vaibhav_hatwal) February 17, 2024
