Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

India clinched a hard-fought victory over England at Ranchi, winning the fourth Test by five wickets and taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. The match was a captivating battle, with both teams showcasing their talent.

Key Highlights

• Ashwin's Spin Magic: Ravichandran Ashwin was exceptional with the ball for India. In England's second innings, he ripped through the batting order with a magnificent five-wicket haul, once again demonstrating his mastery of spin bowling. I personally feel Rohit missed a trick during the first game for not giving the new ball to Ashwin. Ashwin  has a great history against Pope and Duckett but I am not sure how Rohit missed seeing it. Sometimes it feels  like watching a movie where everyone knows the glaring error in the main character but for the main guy.  I sincerely hope and pray they know how to effectively use the team well.
• Jurel's Gritty Resilience: Wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel showcased nerves of steel for India. His unbeaten 39 in the fourth innings, including a crucial partnership with Shubman Gill, proved critical in steering India towards victory. He'd also scored a valuable 90 runs in the first innings which won us the match. The way Kuldeep and Jurel played was simply outstanding and that partnership made all the difference between the teams along with Ashwin's wizardry.
• Gill's Composed Chase: Shubman Gill's unbeaten 52 guided India home. His composure under pressure was outstanding, and his partnership with Jurel sealed the deal for India.
• Rohit's Opening Salvo: India's captain, Rohit Sharma, set the tone for the match with a fluent innings early on, providing a solid platform for his team.
• Root's Lone Fight: For England, Joe Root was a lone warrior, playing a valiant innings despite a lack of support from his teammates. I felt bad for Root and felt irritated when Anderson and other tailenders got out irresponsibly. They could have rotated strike and have him bat longer but for some reason dug their own grave in the first innings.

Overall it  was a great match to watch which is a good advertisement for the test game.