Ben Stokes reacts after his dismissal© BCCI
England cricket team captain Ben Stokes was completely bamboozled by a stunning delivery from Kuldeep Yadav on Day 3 of the fourth Test match against India in Ranchi on Sunday. During the 33rd over of England’s second innings, the delivery from Kuldeep landed on the leg stump but spun massively towards the off-stump. Stokes tried to follow the line of the delivery but was taken aback by the spin and it went on to hit his back pad and then roll onto the stumps. The disappointment was clear on the batter’s face as he walked back to the dressing room with his side in a bit of trouble.
— Sitaraman (@Sitaraman112971) February 25, 2024
Dhruv Jurel’s defensive chef-d’oeuvre found a perfect match in the destructive symphony of spin by fifer-man Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav as India seized decisive control of the fourth Test at the end of a dramatic third day in Ranchi on Sunday.
India walked off at the stumps, having chiselled off 40 runs from the 192-run target without losing a wicket.
Rohit Sharma (24 batting) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16 batting) would be confident of the team mustering the remaining 152 runs without much theatre.
However, it was Jurel who started India’s resistive movement with a defiant 90 that came in 149 balls and 211 minutes. It carried the hosts to 307 in their first innings from the overnight 219 for seven.
In their second essay, England just did not have any answers to the questions posed by Ashwin (5/51), his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests, and Kuldeep Yadav (4/22), getting bowled out for a meagre 145.
(With PTI inputs)
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