India have got off to a solid start in the penultimate Test of the five-match series, thanks to the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. While Rahul showed off his elegance and class in the first session, looking in fine touch, Jaiswal too, kept his nerve and rode out a tricky period.As the first session came to a close, Jaiswal took centre stage as he acrobatically deflected a rather awkward delivery from England pacer Jofra Archer. Viral clips on X show the India batter attempting to dodge a delivery from Archer, bending backwards significantly so that the ball doesn’t hit him. While the commentators voiced that Jaiswal’s intention was not to play a shot and avoid making contact, it ended up hitting his bat and racing towards the boundary.While Jaiswal’s stunning shot, be it intentional or not, evoked a light-hearted reaction from Archer. The England pacer, who returned to the Test setup in the previous match at Lord’s, posted a surprised look on his face as his lethal delivery raced down the ground for a boundary.While England celebrated the wicket of KL Rahul in the early moments of the second session, Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan will look to build on the opening partnership and help India to a formidable total. Sudharsan was included in the playing XI at the expense of Karun Nair, who had replaced him earlier after his rather subdued display in the opening Test of the series.The previous Test saw India come heartbreakingly close to a win, but ended up falling 22 runs short.
Poll
What did you think of Jaiswal’s acrobatic shot against Archer?
With tweaks to the line-up and desperation among the players to level the series, the penultimate Test will prove to be a fierce encounter, much like the one at Lord’s.
