Jonny Bairstow of England had to go back to the pavilion after a humiliating depart from Ravindra Jadeja shook his stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against India.
The throw right before the dismissal swung beyond Bairstow’s outside edge, indicating that leaving was the safe choice. However, the following delivery used the arm and clipped the top of the off-stump.
Jonny Bairstow stood there in shock for a few seconds before returning to the pavilion. Here is a video of the dismissal:
Ravindra Jadeja’s accuracy is one of the primary reasons for his many dismissals. The left-arm spinner has stated that he has no idea which ball will turn and which will remain on the arm.
Jonny Bairstow’s wicket an indication of England’s indecisiveness
England made a stunning recovery in the first session of Day 3 after being 89/1 at lunch, behind by 101 runs with nine wickets in hand. Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope both appeared to have a handle on the Indian spinners as the hosts were surrendering runs.
However, the pause could not have come at a better moment for India, as it provided an opportunity to ponder and rethink their strategy. The hosts came out in the second session with speed on one end in Jasprit Bumrah, which proved to be a masterstroke by skipper Rohit Sharma.
Bumrah showed excellent control with his reverse swing, dismissing Duckett and Joe Root to put India ahead. Jadeja also contributed with Jonny Bairstow’s wicket, putting the visitors four down.
Duckett and Root’s technique against the reverse-swing, along with Bairstow’s bad leave, revealed that the visitors were wary of India’s altered strategy. They currently have Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope at the crease and sorely need a strong combination to stay in the Test match.