Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal overcame his back spasm concerns and walked out to bat in the morning session on Day 4 of the 3rd Test between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. Yashasvi had retired hurt toward the end of the third day’s play, shortly after he hit a sensational hundred.
On Sunday morning, India resumed their innings on 196 for 2 with Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav, the nightwatchman, taking the strike. The two stitched a 55-run partnership for the 3rd wicket with Kuldeep taking the attack to the England bowlers. Shubman Gill started cautiously but looked more proactive after settling into the innings.
However, Shubman Gill was left gutted as he was run-out in the 64th over on 91. Kuldeep Yadav hit a Tom Hartley delivery to mid-on before he was involved in a horrible mix-up with Gill, who was not able to get back to the non-striker’s end on time. Gill was short of the crease by the barest of margins as his bat was on the air when he was trying to slide back to safety.
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While Shubman Gill walked back to the pavilion after making his frustration visible, there was a round of applause from the crowd in Rajkot as Yashasvi walked back to the middle and resumed his innings.
Jaiswal looked comfortable as he was sweeping and driving the England spinners without showing any sign of discomfort on Sunday.
On Saturday, the young left-hander notched up his 3rd Test hundred, showcasing his incredible game awareness. Jaiswal’s innings began cautiously; he was 35 off 73 deliveries, playing the role of an anchor while Rohit Sharma took on the aggressor’s mantle. However, following Sharma’s dismissal, Jaiswal took it upon himself to accelerate the scoring. He unleashed an array of strokes against England’s bowlers, including inexperienced spinners and two tiring fast bowlers, showcasing his ability to adapt and dominate under pressure. His next 65 runs came off a mere 49 balls, punctuated with straight sixes and reverse-sweeps. This aggressive batting spree helped India amass 150 runs in the final session of the day, propelling the team to a commanding position with a 322-run overall lead.
However, shortly after celebrating his century with a leap that Sunil Gavaskar humorously suggested might have been the cause, Jaiswal experienced back spasms. Despite attempts to continue, including on-field assessments and stretches by the team physio, the pain proved too much. In a moment filled with both applause for his achievement and concern for his well-being, Jaiswal retired hurt, walking off the field with 104 runs to his name.
There was more good news for India on Sunday as R Ashwin returned from Chennai to rejoin the team with the BCCI confirming that he would be available to take field on Day 4 and Day 5. Ashwin had left to Chennai on Friday after withdrawing from the Test because of a family medical emergency.