At the end of Day 3, India put themselves in a strong position to win the fourth Test in Ranchi. On Sunday, February 25, India was spectacular with both bat and ball throughout the Test match.
Dhruv Jurel’s gutsy performance in the morning session helped India reach a first innings total of 307 runs, while India blasted England with the ball. Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav combined for nine wickets, limiting Ben Stokes’ team to 145 runs.
Ashwin was given the new ball for the first time in the Test series by captain Rohit Sharma, and he took full advantage, picking up three wickets in the top order. As Ashwin slowed in the middle of the innings, Kuldeep Yadav took control and ripped through England’s middle order. Kuldeep dismissed the in-form Zak Crawley (60), Ben Stokes (4), Tom Hartley (7), and Ollie Robinson (0). Kuldeep seemed set for his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket, but R Ashwin dismissed James Anderson to clinch his 35th five-wicket haul.
IND vs ENG, 4th Test: Day 3 Highlights
In his post-game interview with the broadcaster, Ashwin praised Kuldeep and stated that the spinner has become twice the bowler he was a few years ago. Ashwin stated that Kuldeep’s new variations and trajectory make him extremely difficult to play against, which is a significant advantage for India.
“I loved the way Kuldeep bowled today, he was brilliant, the way he changed the trajectory, change of pace, the dip he got – I think he’s double the bowler now. I took away a 5-wicket haul from him,” Ashwin said.
Kuldeep not only bowled well, but also developed a key partnership with Dhruv Jurel in the first innings. Kuldeep faced 131 balls and hit 28 runs, allowing India to get back into the game.
“It was hard on him yesterday, we sent him to bat early, but he showed a lot of technique and guile, we batted almost the entire first session. We would have taken a deficit of 70-80 runs when we went back to the hotel yesterday, we would have taken it,” Ashwin said.
After the day’s play, India needed 152 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand. In India’s 192-run chase in Ranchi, captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal got off to an aggressive start.
