About an hour after the lunch interval, Amit Mishra brought his lunch plate to the table outside the pavilion. He was in no rush to complete the meal. He was not even in his whites. He had no reason to be either.
India were in cruise control at that point. Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay had survived sudden turn, close calls and body blows. But they now defined control. There was no foreseeable danger for the hosts. There was no reason for Mishra to hasten his grub or pad up.
Pujara and Vijay had batted from nearly the start of the day, once Gautam Gambhir fell on the first ball of Friday’s second over. And the duo appeared set to take India closer to England’s mammoth 537 in the first innings.
But about half an hour after tea, Pujara steered a Ben Stokes delivery to Alastair Cook in a wide slip position. There was no one but the England captain in that cordon. And on another day, Pujara would have guided it past him. But on Friday, the local batsman offered a catch that the English skipper gleefully accepted. The breakthrough showed England the path to the backdoor entry.
Backdoor entry
Virat Kohli came in, and dropped anchor to avoid further hiccups. Along with Vijay, the Indian captain had almost succeeded in ending day three with the home side in a position devoid of panic.
But in the second-last over, Adil Rashid’s googly took Vijay’s glove and fell into the hands of forward short-leg. England, now, had the backdoor entry in sight.
Within the matter of a session, Mishra was now out in the middle. The Indian leg-spinner can hold fort with the bat. But when he relished his lunch after the lunch break, he may not have expected the team to require his services with the willow on the third day. Yet, he was out there as the nightwatchman. Unprepared and hardly battle-ready, he lasted just two balls.
Mishra’s tentative hands resulted in Zafar Ansari finding his inside-edge, which rammed into his pads and headed into the hands of the forward short-leg fielder, again. England, now, were at the backdoor entry – a stride away from stepping in and taking charge of the game.
From 318/2, India were now 319/4 at stumps. Kohli was still at the crease, but he was aware of how the late strikes could derail the Indian charge. He did not walk back to the pavilion with his batting partner Mishra, as is usually the trend. He walked past him. Kohli was upset, and like always, it was for the world to see.
But Kohli also had reasons to be peeved. India had lost two quick wickets in a game in which they had played a batsman short. England’s 537 looked steeper than it did for most of the day. And while even now a draw beckoned, if wickets fell in heaps like they did at the end of day three, India could play cordial hosts to the tourists in the opening Test.
Onus on lower order
Ajinkya Rahane will walk out along with his skipper to continue India’s innings under the Rajkot sun. But the duo will be the last recognised pair of the team’s batsmen. Hence, it is the contribution from the lower-order that could steer the direction of the game.
Jonny Bairstow and Ansari had stuck around enough to ensure Stokes could complete his century and further build England’s mountain of runs in the first dash. Now it is the turn of their Indian counterparts to show the world that they can compete on tracks that are not rank turners as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha and Ravindra Jadeja form a formidable lower-order. With Mishra’s premature exit, the pressure on the three to make life hostile for the English will only rise.
The trio, however, come with a newly enhanced reputation. Ever since the tour of the West Indies, contributions from them have either bailed India out of sticky situations or guided them into a position of strength.
In the Caribbean, it was Ashwin in North Sound and Ashwin and Saha in Gros Islet as India remained undefeated. Against New Zealand at home, Ashwin and Jadeja’s contribution in Kanpur and Saha’s steel in Kolkata helped India whitewash the visitors.
Pitch opening up
India are still 218 runs away from England’s total in Rajkot. The cracks have widened, and are offering turn and uneven bounce. Cook has three spinners to exploit the pitch on days four and five. He also has three pacers to supplement them with reverse swing. And 180 overs are enough for the game to turn from the direction of a drab draw to an unexpected result.
It is important India shut England out of the contest. The visitors, after all, have been the only foreign side to have won in India in 12 years. They are also a side that has not gone down to India in the past three series played out in the game’s longest format. But for that, the Indian tail must wag vehemently. At stake is the notoriety of its ability to sting with the bat.
Ashwin, Saha and Jadeja have played their part in India’s recent ascent to world No. 1. But England is a team India do not want to lose to. This is a series they want to stamp their class on and bury the ghosts of their past. And Ashwin, Saha and Jadeja could have the opportunity to keep the Indian dream on track in the very first Test itself. All they must do is resist with the bat and deny England the backdoor entry, one they sit on the cusp of.
