The captain of team India, Rohit Sharma, weathered the aggressive England bowling to score a gritty fifty in the IND vs. ENG 3rd Test. India won the toss and opted to bat first at Rajkot. It was a nightmare of a start for the hosts, as they lost three wickets in the first session of the day’s play.
The Hitman’s half-century came off 71 deliveries. The skipper had to bear the brunt of the attacking bowling led by Mark Wood, including a hit to his inner thigh that left him on his haunches. However, he staged a brave counter-offensive, along with Ravindra Jadeja, as India steadied the innings.
Yashashvi Jaiswal was the first to depart on Day 1, courtesy of a fiery Wood. An edge from the southpaw was caught by Joe Root. Next, Shubman Gill was dismissed for a duck, with Wood striking again. The third batter to walk back to the pavilion was Rajat Patidar, with spinner Tom Hartley joining the fray along with Wood.