Albeit for a brief period on Day 2 of the 1st Test against India, Australia were in charge. They had picked up the key wickets of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession and put India in a spot of bother at 168/5. The lead was still 9 runs away and with five wickets in hand, Australia had one foot inside the door. Australia could have turned the game on its head, but between them and their plans of getting India out cheaply stood Rohit Sharma and comeback man Ravindra Jadeja. While all the star-studded batters departed one after the other, Rohit, the India captain stood tall with one of his most hard-fought Test centuries – possibly his best-ever. And with him was Jadeja, who had already rattled Australia with a five-wicket haul on the opening day and was now gradually batting them out of the game with the bat.
Jadeja and Rohit added 61 runs for the sixth wicket to give India a much-needed partnership. Australia came close to breaking the stand but it was thwarted away by the tv umpire. In the 78th over of the innings, Todd Murphy and Australia appealed for an LBW against Jadeja, which was given not out by umpire Richard Illingworth. However, Murphy, wicketkeeper Handscomb and captain Pat Cummins felt it was close call and hence signalled the T. Jadeja put a long stride forward, but it was still pad first, but since the impact was marginally outside, the umpire’s call stayed.
The moment it appeared on the big screen, certain expressions of a few players summed up their team’s condition in the Test. Murphy and Handscomb wore a highly dejected look on their face, while non-striker Rohit had a very ‘I told you so’ look on his face, as he looked at the decision and shook his head, almost indicating to everyone that he more than anyone else, was sure Jadeja was not out. The slow-motion replay by the cameraman is what made the reactions of Murphy, Handscomb and Rohit absolutely priceless.
Watch the video below:
Australia though did not have to wait long for the breakthrough. Two overs later, as soon as the Aussies took the second new ball, off the fourth ball Cummins cleaned up Rohit with a ripper. The ball straightened after pitching but Rohit played down the wrong line, sending his off-stump cartwheeling. Three over later, Australia finally nailed the DRS, overturning the umpire’s no out decision for an LBW against debutant KS Bharat as Murphy bagged his fifth wicket. Having said that, it was all India from that point as Jadeja and Axar Patel stitched an unbeaten 81-run partnership and scored their respective half-centuries to take India to 321/7 at stumps on Day 2, swelling the lead to 144.
Australia though did not have to wait long for the breakthrough. Two overs later, as soon as the Aussies took the second new ball, off the fourth ball Cummins cleaned up Rohit with a ripper. The ball straightened after pitching but Rohit played down the wrong line, sending his off-stump cartwheeling. Three over later, Australia finally nailed the DRS, overturning the umpire’s no out decision for an LBW against debutant KS Bharat as Murphy bagged his fifth wicket. Having said that, it was all India from that point as Jadeja and Axar Patel stitched an unbeaten 81-run partnership and scored their respective half-centuries to take India to 321/7 at stumps on Day 2, swelling the lead to 144.