Rohit Sharma dazzles to put India in commanding position despite late England rally

The opener produced a sublime 161 as the hosts ended 300/6 after a thrilling day one of the second Test

Rohit Sharma hits Moeen Ali to the boundary on day one (ECB)

To those 9,000 spectators lucky enough to be back watching live at the Chepauk Stadium on Saturday, consider yourselves the envy of the rest of the world. Rarely will a return to normal feature so much of what we have missed during this pandemic.

Having been shutout for the first match as England took a 1-0 lead in the series over India, cricket put on a feast on the opening day of the second Test, laying out pretty much every type of thrill you could ever want from this mad caper. In a city where they do Thalis better than most, we were spoiled by the variety of flavour and spice on offer.

Whether big runs, key wickets or controversy gets your juices flowing, you could have dipped in at any point over the 88 overs and had your fill. India’s 300 has them in control on a pitch turning from the get-go, with the six wickets down giving the tourists reason to believe they are still in this. Mercifully, the two questionable third umpire calls did not cost much, even if they did involve Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, boasting 161 and 67 respectively.

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It was their stand of 161 that has India ahead. But the credit primarily belongs to Sharma, who seemed to enjoy the luxury of taking guard on a completely different strip. Rarely will you witness an individual knock so perfectly out of sync with its surroundings.

Rohit Sharma of India celebrates after scoring a hundred during day one (ECB)

Were it not for his high-octane innings that featured 20 boundaries, more than the rest combined, England might have won their sixth day of the series. Now, however, they find themselves as fighting from the corner with four to go.

If you want to know what Sharma is about, you don’t need to go too far back for the crispest summary from the man himself.

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During the final Test of the Australia series, he lobbed a catch to long-on trying to put Nathan Lyon up-and-over. He had strummed his way to 44 in reply to Australia’s 369 before this misstep in the 20th over.

Out came the usual detractors, lamenting another start spurned. An ODI gun he may be, but here, to them, was another blemish against him and the red ball. Sharma, however, was typically phlegmatic with little remorse. Hitting spinners over the top is kind of his thing. So, too, is embracing a cavalier spirit to benefit the collective.

“Somewhere, someone needs to put his hand up and think about how we can put the pressure back on the bowlers,” he retorted when pressed on that dismissal. “And while doing that there are chances you will make a mistake, and you should be ready to accept that.”

Well, there weren’t many mistakes on Saturday. And when he danced down the track to swat Moeen for his second six of the day, England’s bowlers were under no illusions that they were very much getting theirs. The strike would take him to 97, and when a seventh century was brought up with a single off his 130th delivery, Sharma had contributed 100 of India’s 133 for three.

The first-half of Sharma’s innings were undoubtedly the most valuable, imperious and at odds with what was occurring at the other end. Olly Stone and Moeen, playing their first Tests since August 2019, made key interventions: Stone trapping Shubman Gill in front not playing a shot with his third ball, then Moeen coaxing a garish drive from India captain Virat Kohli to rattle his stumps for a five-ball duck.

Sandwiched between was Jack Leach’s fine delivery to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara caught at slip. And though, after losing the toss and batting first, Joe Root was chipper with three top-order wickets wrapped by lunch, Sharma’s 80 of his team’s 106 at lunch suggested felt ominous.

Kohli walks off after being bowled clean by Moeen (ECB)

A wicketless middle session followed, Sharma going to three figures and Rahane bedding in. A return after tea saw the vice-captain move to 50 from 104 deliveries, a first half-century in seven innings in the wake of intense pressure after failures of one and a duck in the first Test. Going into that final session at 189 for three, the match already looked well and truly India’s.

That play ended with that opinion a little less certain owes to a riveting final 34 overs that ramped up the heat in Chennai. A close stumping by Ben Foakes, now designated wicketkeeper after Jos Buttler returned home after the first Test, was sent upstairs to TV umpire Anil Chaudhary and back down just as quickly with a “not out” decision. Too quickly for some with the uncertainty around whether anything was grounded behind the line. Two runs later, Sharma was finally on his way, Leach receiving the second scalp he might have earned seven balls earlier. Sharma walked off with 161 of India's 248 for four.

Leach would not have the same luck with Rahane, however, when a bat-pad catch given not out on the field was sent to the Chaudhary once more. Having determined no initial contact with the bat, the verdict was upheld on the big screen. However, England were unhappy the review stopped short of showing the path of the ball as it bounced off the front pad and past handle and glove. As play continued, with a review lost, replays showed an UltraEdge spike on the top hand.

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Similarly, it was an error that did not cost much. Rahane was bowled an over later having only added a run to take him to 67 – Moeen with his second to touch-up an expensive 26 overs for 112. Upon acknowledging the error, England were also handed back their review by ICC match referee Javagal Srinath.

Root then accounted for Ravichandran Ashwin as Pope finally got on the scorecard at short leg. But as stumps came, and Rishabh Pant puffed out his chest to strike six boundaries, including a huge six as he reacquainted himself with Leach to send him into the stands at straight midwicket, India’s grasp remained on this encounter.

He will start again on Sunday with 33 not out, accompanied by debutant Axar Patel who has a first-class average of 35 with the bat. Patel will also have half a mind on the havoc his left-arm orthodox could cause. Together with Ashwin and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, drafted in for Shahbaz Nadeem, India’s spin attack feels much more potent. Given how pitches deteriorate in this part of the world, there is already an unshakeable sense that India might already have enough.