Rohit Sharma stopped Sarfaraz Khan from attempting a grave mistake on Day 3 of the 4th India vs England Test in Ranchi.
Rohit Sharma was at this expressive best as India searched for their final two England wickets on Day 3 of the Ranchi Test. With Indian looking to wrap things up and gun for series glory, Rohit had spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja from both ends. However, during one of the overs, Sarfaraz Khan, who was fielding in the deep, was called by Rohit to change his position from long on to silly mid-off, and while the youngster responded to his captain’s call, he decided to take a big risk.
Rohit Sharma lived up to the promise he made to Sarfaraz Khan’s father. (Agencies)
The incident took place in the 47th over. Kuldeep was made to wait to bowl the fourth ball after Sarfaraz decided he would field at the close-in position without wearing a helmet. As he tried to convince his captain, Rohit walked up to him and warned him from committing a grave mistake, explaining how dangerous it is. That was also the time when umpire Kumar Dharmasena stepped in and said ‘No, you cannot do that,’ informing that a helmet is mandatory while fielding at close in positions.
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“You could hear Rohit saying ‘Oye, hero nahi banne ka‘. Very Rohit Sharma style to say it. Not the usual way here. No need to be a hero, wait for your helmet here. When you’re fielding at that position, no risks please. Get that helmet on. Even the umpire letting Sarfaraz know that,” Karthik said on commentary.
Thank goodness for Rohit’s intervention, as only two balls later a defensive shot from Bashir took off from the ground and struck Sarfaraz on the helmet – albeit not without force.
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Sarfaraz had already taken two catches earlier, one of which was at short leg when he helped Ashwin dismiss Ben Duckett for the first England wicket, and then when he dived forward at mid-on and hung on to a mistimed loft from Tom Hartley off the bowling of Kuldeep. But no matter how electric and sharp he was on the field, fielding at short leg without a helmet is pretty much a brain fade. Remember how Rohit said ‘Yes, I will’ when Sarfaraz’ father Naushad urged the India captain to take care of his son? Well, Rohit lived up to his promise.
In 1998, the world lost Indian cricketer Raman Lamba when a pull shot struck him on the head. Lamba, who was fielding at short leg without a helmet on, copped a blow and went into coma before eventually succumbing to the blow.
India poised to win the series tomorrow
The two wickets which India were searching for was provided by Ashwin, who was summoned by Rohit and repaid the captain’s faith by dismissing Ben Foakes and James Anderson in the same over. Those two strikes helped Ashwin pick up the 35th five-wicket-haul of his Test career, and go level with Anil Kumble in the same number of innings. Legendary company indeed.
Ashwin’s 5/51 coupled with Kuldeep Yadav’s 4/22 dismissed England for 145 in the second innings, which in turn set India a 192-run target. India, already leading the series 2-1, have raced to 40/0 with Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring at a brisk pace and giving the team a phenomenal start. During this partnership, Rohit completed 4000 Test runs and 1000 against England.
That India are in a position to seal the series tomorrow also owes a great bit to the 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel, without whom they would have struggled. Jurel, playing only his 2nd Test, scored his maiden Test fifty and top-scored with 90 to lift India from 177/7 to 307.
