Root dismissal changed the game: Siraj

Rajkot: Yashavi Jaiswal might be remembered for sending England’s bowlers to the cleaners in the final session of the third Test between India and England in Rajkot, but the Mumbaikar could well have changed the course of the game in one way more than that.

It’s over number 40. Overnight batters Ben Duckett and Joe Root don't look particularly fazed by the day’s opening duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. The pitch had nothing on it. Flat with agreeable bounce. Expected. 

Root has copped criticism aplenty since the advent of the ‘Bazball’ era for getting out in ways he normally wouldn’t. It might seem so but the numbers don’t quite corroborate that assertion. 

Root’s numbers are still in line with what preceded the revolution, and yet, Saturday was a window into why the critiques have taken on arguably England’s greatest batter. 

Bumrah lands the ball on the fifth stump and it’s on a length. Root gets into position for the reverse scoop. It’s a shot he has been getting runs off of, but it’s also a stroke he has gotten out to. Today, it was the latter. 

When the ball made contact with the ball, it looked a good shot, but the angle was flatter than expected. Next thing you know, Jaiswal at second slip has taken the catch on the second attempt. 

A wicket for India inside the first five overs of the day, and it was a gift. It was also an especially good catch given the degree of difficulty. 

“That catch changed the momentum of the game, I think,” said Mohammed Siraj in the post-day press conference. “I can’t tell you why he played that shot, but that’s the approach they have taken. He has played that shot a lot and it comes off a lot but this time it didn’t and we capitalised on it. 

“That wicket and the wicket of (Ben) Stokes ensured we were firmly in the game. That’s the risk of playing this attacking style of cricket. You never know what can happen. We’re just glad we kept it in the right areas and picked up early wickets. That is always crucial against a team like this.”

Despite losing Root, eventually Duckett, Stokes’ presence at the crease for longer could have brought England closer to India’s first-innings tally. But the English skipper charged down the track and looked to heave Ravindra Jadeja over Bumrah at long-on and was caught well inside the ropes.  

Although he wasn’t particularly pleased with himself, you can rest assured that England will continue to play this firebrand of cricket. You can also be rest assured that India will be waiting. 

They have seen what they need to know and have plans in place. It might not seem as obvious as the plans of the past, but then again, England’s approach isn’t one from the past.