The third Test match between India and England in Rajkot witnessed a roller-coaster of performances on the first day, ultimately placing India in a commanding position. With the series leveled at 1-1, both teams sought to assert their dominance from the outset. While England took charge in the initial session, reducing India to 33/3 in just 8.5 overs, the latter part of the day belonged emphatically to the hosts.
The masterclass on Day 1 was orchestrated by Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Despite a shaky start, the Indian skipper and the world's No. 1 Test all-rounder built a formidable 204-run partnership. Rohit Sharma, who had been getting starts in the previous matches without converting them, seized the opportunity with an imperious knock of 131 off 196 balls. His innings was ignited by a reprieve at 27 when Joe Root dropped him in the slips.
Returning from a hamstring injury, Ravindra Jadeja played a chanceless inning, slamming his fourth Test century and second consecutive one at his home ground, the newly renamed Rajkot Stadium.
Debutant Sarfaraz Khan added to the spectacle by scoring the second-fastest fifty (48 balls) by an Indian on debut. Displaying aggression and fearlessness, Sarfaraz took on England's bowlers, particularly targeting Joe Root, Tom Hartley, and Rehan Ahmed. His remarkable burst in the third session propelled India past the 300-run mark with ease.
For England, express pacer Mark Wood emerged as the shining light, claiming the prized wickets of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill. James Anderson also contributed to some extent. However, the rest of the bowling attack, including Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, and part-timer Joe Root, struggled on the slow Rajkot pitch.
The lack of a potent fifth bowling option posed a significant worry for England, with Joe Root as the fifth bowler unable to apply enough pressure on the Indian batters. Despite having India at 33/3, the English bowlers failed to capitalize on the situation. Mark Wood went for over 4 runs an over, and Root had an economy of over 5, reflecting the challenges faced by the visitors.
Brief Scores and Playing XIs
At the end of Day 1, India posted a strong total of 326/5. The playing XIs for both teams were as follows:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
