History tells us that India have never lost a Test match at home scoring as many as 445 runs, as they have done here. But history tells us that India have never lost at home when leading by three digits in the first innings, something England popped up in a blender in Hyderabad before pressing the button labeled Smoothie.
Because here’s the thing: while onlookers are ticking off various filters on Cricinfo’s statistical experts looking for precedent to serve as a guide, this group, led by Ben Stokes, just doesn’t care. In the minds of impressionable teams, these cluttered thoughts have been cleared and replaced with phrases like “keep your feet on the ground” and “live in the moment.”
Of course, saying all this is one thing, living it is another. But few have done more over the past two years than Ben Duckett. On the second day in Rajkot, where the seniors’ brains might have turned into scrambled eggs after experiencing the 130.5-rpm heat on the pitch, the opener produced a jaw-dropping century.
These numbers are quite staggering. In response to India’s dismissal for 445, England reached 207 in just 35 overs – just six runs short of the run rate – and Duckett strode into the air-conditioned dressing room. Chamber, who made an unbeaten 133 off 118 balls. He raided for 21 fours and two sixes, and his third Test century came off just 88 deliveries – the fastest ever bowled by an Englishman in India.
One suspects that Rajkot might suit England’s taste. The kind of surface where you can see the afterburners igniting from the start. Even so, given the circumstances and the attack, it was more than expected. The leading opener – a whisper in this part of the world – scored faster than even Virender Sehwag’s pomp.
Their approach was completely different, with Duckett, a southpaw, using his short-arm jab and hard pull to square the seamers while sweeping the spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav – letting They were distraught. Every gap filled by Rohit Sharma led to another target for Duckett, who made typically blistering remarks before the series to take 10 on either side of the wicket sweep, it’s not nearly as easily remembered now.
That included some sweet revenge against Ravichandran Ashwin, but that’s not how his 2016 nemesis will remember the day. The 37-year-old became the second Indian after Anil Kumble to reach 500 Test wickets, while Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan was The only one faster than his 98 scientific spin games.
It was a valuable game too, with Duckett and Zach Crowley posting 89 runs in just 13 overs. Crawley delighted in admiring his partner’s attack at the off-striker’s end, the bat popping up beside him, only to try and join in the fun, only to see a top-edge sweep plop down short, slender leg. Ashwin, always grumpy, smiled.
In the first of two knocks for India, Ollie Pope was caught LBW by Mohammed Siraj on review, but not before he was caught LBW by Dak Duckett operated in the slipstream and scored 39 runs worth 93 runs in the second wicket stand. India also used twice to review Duckett, the supersonic yorker from Jasprit Bumrah who was thought to have been dug out of the willow in the 79th, while Ashwin ) shouted with hope in the final game of the day.
Somehow, the fates of Ashwin and Duckett, the former also playing an unusual role in the jump-start, seem to be intertwined; But he disagrees. In helping India take their goal tally to 37, he became the second player in the team to score a penalty for a run in midfield after Ravindra Jadeja the night before. And the players were warned. Referee Joel Wilson gave the visitors a five-point penalty.
Whether it was deliberate sharp practice or the rare enforcement of Rule 41.14 (hitting destroys the pitch), it meant England would start their fightback in five games without a loss. Later, when Bumrah got past first, it became a loss-free six before legal delivery. Unfortunately, there is no statsguru filter to quickly determine if this has improved.
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But so began the final game of a somnolent day, with England taking two wickets first – Jimmy Anderson moving to within four of 700 – and the result India’s lower-ranked teams hunkered down in the bidding to wear down their opponents and allow more overs to go into the ground.
Jadeja, who added just two runs to his overnight 110, got back to the grateful Joe Root after batting, but debutant Dhruv Jurel A confident 46, coupled with Ashwin’s hard work, turned 331 for 7 into 408 for 8.
England suffered a touch here as India ran between the wickets, leading to a recrimination and Jurrell was bowled out for two catches as the debutant made 32 runs.
Pope was the first culprit – he struck the real goal in midfield to deny Tom Hartley’s second – while Mark Wood dutifully delivered one in order Insurance plan, only to see a surprising full ball slip through Stokes’ leg. Still, after Rehan Ahmed eventually dismissed both three-spinners – Jurel was beaten by Ben Foakes’ latest quicksilver catch – Wood Bumrah got his fourth when he ended up LBW with a lively 26 runs.
There was some shenanigans going on on the field that oddly kept a low profile, certainly enough to wet the Indians’ lips during the comeback. But the return of the rollers and the dust being swept away by the grounds crew seemed to quiet things down, and then Duckett began sweeping all the corners.
