The Indian management has made a baffling move ahead of the Perth Test by dropping R Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja from the playing eleven. Previous media reports hinted that both Ashwin and Jadeja were all but certain to feature in the first Test of the BGT series. But those assumptions have now been put to rest once and for all when the management decided to instead go with Washington Sundar who will play the role of a spin-bowling all-rounder. 

Pace has been a go-to mantra for India ahead of the Test series. The think tank is very much aware of what the Perth deck has to offer and has sorted out their team combinations accordingly. As fate would have it, India have been gone with two specialist seamers in the form of Bumrah and Siraj while seam-bowling all-rounders Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy earned their debut caps for India in the longest format.

So why did Ashwin and Jadeja miss out on the first Test?

Experts believe that the move to drop Ashwin and Jadeja was certainly justified. On a pacy and bounce-friendly Perth pitch, going with an all-out pace attack seemed like a sensible approach. Moreover, with only a few left-handers in the Australian lineup, the decision to play Jadeja would have turned futile. It all boiled down to either Ashwin or Sundar and the management was faced with making a tough call. Sundar, being more capable with the bat as opposed to Ashwin got the green signal from the Indian think tank.

Sundar has previously toured Australia in the 202-21 BGT Test series where he starred both with the bat and the ball finishing the series on a high with gutsy contributions to his name. He averaged 42 with the bat with a best score of 62 and ended up taking four wickets at an average of just over 40. 

India to bat first in the Perth Test 

India's stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah won the toss earlier in the day and chose to bat first. His expected to lead the side in the absense of Rohit Sharma who is likely to join the squad in the middle of the Test match. At the time of writing, India had lost their top three thanks to some immaculate bowling from Australian quicks. Kl Rahul is currently battling it out with his side reduced to 40-3 after 20 overs.

See also: What to expect from Perth pitch? Explained

The 0-3 whitewash at home against the Black Caps has raised alarm bells within the BCCI administration, compelling them to revisit their 'A' program which involves bolstering their bench strength for the top-tier Indian team. As per a recent report from TOI, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is reportedly devising a strategy to create a player resource pool.

The 'A' program worked as a charm under the supervision of former India head coach Rahul Dravid who used to tour with developmental teams throughout the year thereby offering the highest degree of exposure to young budding India cricketers. 

The issues surrounding the 'A' program in the past

The 'A' program suffered a setback in the past following the advent of the Covid pandemic. These A tours presented a huge financial burden on the other boards as they refrained from sponsoring the India U-19 series and 'A' teams. Despite the pressing challenges, BCCI made concise efforts to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one that preceded India's Test tour of Australia. 

"Other boards have communicated to the BCCI that they can't bear the expenses of an 'A' tour. The BCCI has still tried to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one which precedes India's Test tour of Australia. Laxman is working on it to come up with a plan that will offer greater exposure to the next generation of cricketers," a source said.

The major reason behind several boards' reluctance to host the 'A' tours vastly stems from the financial implications. These tours do not generate any revenue and all the expenses have to be incurred by the local boards which makes the 'A' program a highly unsustainable prospect in the long run.  Laxman will have a tricky task at hand and needs to find a viable solution to make these tours more affordable. 

A look into India's most recent 'A' tour

India featured in an 'A' series earlier this year against the England Lions prior to the start of the five-match Test series against England. That series offered an all-round view to the selectors on the players' current standing which in turn provided a baseline for them to make suitable selections ahead of the competitive Test series. 

Moreover, the 'A' program also came into focus in India's previous BGT outing down under where the likes of Siraj, Thaku, Saini, and Sundar all of whom stepped up in the absence of senior players. These players were the by-product of the 'A' series that was scheduled just before the start of the series. On the back of some formidable performances in the 'A' series, these budding youngsters were able to book their place in the Indian playing Xl which subsequently triumphed under dire conditions to clinch the series by 2-1.  

See also: Nitish Reddy included in Ravi Shastri's playing Xl in the upcoming Perth Test

Former India National Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri has made some striking revelations in his playing Xl as India gears up to face off against Australia in the first Test in Perth. The commentator-turned-coach recently made his India playing XI public just before the start of the much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. 

Ravi Shastri's predicted XI (in Rohit Sharma's absence): Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.

Nitish Reddy set to make his red-bal debut for India

Shastri claims that pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy has every possibility of making his maiden Test appearance for India in the first BGT Test. As per Shastri, the aspiring all-rounder can be seen as a highly useful commodity and who can play a valuable supporting role along with three primary pacers Bumrah, Siraj & Akash Deep on pacey Australian decks. Moreover, the former India head coach holds a strong opinion on Nitish Reddy and feels that he can replicate a part of what Shardul managed to achieve in the earlier BGT Test series. 

"I think the three I would pick straight away is Aakash Deep, (Mohammed) Siraj, and Bumrah and then they (selectors) have to see the balance. Do they want two spinners? Do they want to risk going in with two spinners or do they want to take Nitesh Reddy? Nitesh Reddy will have to do a job like Shardul Thakur did as the fourth seamer."

Ravi Shastri further stressed including one spin bowling all-rounder in the form of Washington or Jadeja and refrain from the risk of fielding two frontline spinners.

Shastri throws light on bolstering India's batting department   

With Rohit's absence from the first Test becoming increasingly likely with every passing day, India needs an astute batter to support Jaiswal and Gill at the top. In order to facilitate this change, Shastri advises Gill to move down the order to number 3. The management will have to then take a bold call to either select KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran who have been originally drafted into the squad as designated openers. 

"That's a tough one and selectors have a choice. You can push Shubman (Gill) back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia. Otherwise, you'll have to then make an alternative. Easwaran hasn't done that well (for India A in Australia). But it's how he's batting in the nets, how Rahul is batting in the nets. But that Shubman Gill option is also there."

Moreover, in Shastri's view, India's top-order wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel can come in as a frontline batter who can be handy with his keeping skills. Although Pant has permanently sealed the spot of the wicket-keeper batsman, Jurel has demonstrated tremendous maturity with the bat in recent times.  

See also: Virat Kohli undergoes scan: Reports

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, confirmed the birth of their second child in the form of a baby boy on Friday, November 15. Being parents to their daughter Sumaira who was born in 2018, the couple is yet to officially make this delightful news public to the fans. The couple had managed to keep Ritika’s pregnancy under secrecy for an extended period of time. 

The news only managed to break out when uncertainty surrounding Rohit's participation in the Perth Test began gaining traction. Rohit opted for a paternity break to celebrate the arrival of his baby boy on this auspicious moment. However, the name of the new baby boy is yet to be ascertained at this stage. As Rohit is expected to be away with his family on this momentous occasion, there are doubts about whether or not the Indian skipper will be ready in time to lead his side ahead of the first Test.

Rohit puts in the hard yards at the nets

Despite missing the training sessions in Australia due to the birth of his newborn child, Rohit remains committed to his game. While his entire brigade is away playing intra-squad matches in Australia, the 38-year-old was seen practicing tirelessly in the nets in Mumbai and looks more than determined to keep himself match-ready in case he gets a chance to make himself available for the all-important BGT Test series.

However, the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir in a recent press conference confessed that he is doubtful regarding Rohit's participation in the Perth Test but remains optimistic about his availability for the remainder of the Test series. But it has also come to light that Rohit may just be available on time for the first Test if things go according to play back home and BCCI is leaving no stone unturned to make the Indian skipper's availability a seamless affair. 

Rohit's poor Test run in recent times 

Being a genuine match-winner and a hero to the nation, the Indian skipper has come under immense fire following the conclusion of the Test series against the Black Caps at home which resulted in a shocking 0-3 whitewash. Not only did his poor captaincy skills come under the scanner, Rohit's inability to dominate spin and pace also came to the fore which has since raised alarm bells on his woeful form ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. 

In that series, Rohit averaged barely 16 and only managed to surpass fifty once in six innings. Moreover, the former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also came hard on him in the aftermath of the New Zealand Test series advising him to give up the entire captaincy in case if he wished to remain unavailable for the series opener. If that were to happen, India's vice-captain, Jasprit Bumrah would take over the captaincy role in Rohit's absence.

Despite his poor run, Rohit's experience is surely invaluable in such hostile conditions and to not have him for the first Test could pose significant challenges to India who fighting hard to stay alive in the WTC final race.  But the joy of welcoming a new life takes precedence over national duties fans will be curious to see how the living Indian legend goes about balancing his family responsibilities with his cricketing commitments during this make-or-break Test series.

See also: Ritika Sajdeh salutes Aaron Finch's support for Rohit Sharma amidst criticism

Josh Inglis will assume the captaincy role following the conclusion of the second ODI at Adelaide and will lead the Men in Yellow in the third ODI as well as the forthcoming T20I series against Pakistan which is expected to commence on November 14. He will lead the side in the absence of premium stalwarts such as Mitch Marsh and Travis Head who are both unavailable due to paternity leave and Test preparation. 

In addition, Australia's Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins and vice-captain Steve Smith will also not be available to feature for the remainder of the series in order to prepare for the grueling Border Gavaskar Test series. 

Inglis to lead a whole new-look Australia squad 

Following his captaincy appointment, Inglis becomes the 14th T20I captain and the 30th ODI captain to lead Australia. He will have his work cut out as his side will be without the services of experienced Cummins, Smith, Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Marnus Labuschagne, all of whom will be away to prepare for the much-awaited Border Gavaskar Test series. 

The squad will feature some fresh faces in the form of Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Josh Philippe who have made limited yet impactful international appearances for Australia in recent times. Moreover, Lance Morris has also been included as a cover for Josh Hazlewood and is likely to feature in the last ODI of the three-match series. 

Dissecting Inglis' captaincy background

Unlike his teammates Matt Short, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa, and Nathan Ellis, Inglis does not have any credible captaincy experience under his belt. The 29-year-old does not have any captaincy experience at the BBL level unlike some of his fellow teammates. But the flamboyant wicket-keeper batter is widely renowned for his leadership qualities and his tactical instinct at the domestic level.  

Inglis served as the vice-captain for the Perth Scorchers during the previous season and played a significant role within their leadership team. He was a leading candidate to assume the captaincy following Ashton Turner's season-ending injury. However, Aaron Hardie was ultimately selected for the position. This decision was primarily influenced by a preference to avoid appointing a wicketkeeper as captain, particularly given the time constraints faced by the younger bowlers.

In the ongoing three-match ODI series, Australia have taken an early 1-0 lead following a nervy win at the MCG. The hosts will once again lock horns with the visitors in the second ODI at Adelaide where they will look to wrap up the series in one of the most clinical ways possible. 

See also: ICC WTC 2023-25: A saga of strange wins and shocking defeats

November 5, 2024, marks a very special day for Virat Kohli and his beloved fans. On this auspicious day, the talented three-format batter turns 36. After an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash at home, Kohli remained in a positive frame of mind and was seen celebrating his birthday with his wife Anushka Sharma at his restaurant chain One8 Commune. 

The Indian star made his first appearance for India in 2008 and has since then grown in stature to become one of the living legends in world cricket.  With over 25,000 international runs across formats, Kohli remains a true match-winner for India and has bailed his side out of trouble on numerous instances in crunch situations.  

A technically sound batter with supreme levels of fitness, Kohli has the zeist and the competitive edge to exceed and outplay his opposition at any point during the game.   As the nation gets together to celebrate his 36th birthday,  we highlight some of the major achievements the Delhi-based batter has managed to achieve in his 16-year-long illustrious career. 

Milestone and records

• Kohli has registered 27134 runs across all three formats making him the fourth highest run getter in international cricket.
• Kohli has slammed 80 centuries in all three formats making him only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to have the most number of international centuries.
• Kohli has won 10 ICC awards, the most in the history of international cricket. 
• Kohli has won 21 Player of the Series awards across all formats. He also holds the record for the most Player of the Series awards in T20Is with seven. 
• Kohli concluded the 2023 ODI World Cup with a stagerring 765 runs, the most achieved by any batter in the World Cup history. 
• Kohli is known to have the record for being the fastest batter to get to 20,000 international runs. It took the star batter 376 innings and 417 matches to achieve this resounding feet.
• Kohli was the first Indian batter to reach 12,500 runs in T20 cricket.
• Kohli was the first Indian captain to led India to their first Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. 

Despite playing a crucial role in helping India triumph in the T20 World Cup final in June this year, Kohli's form has not been at his fluent best off late. In the recently concluded three-match Test series against the Black Caps, Kohli failed to cross 100 runs cumulatively and failed to play an innings of substance when the situation demanded him to do so.

Moving forward, Kohli has been picked up for the upcoming Border Gavaskar tour which is expected to commence later this month. Kohli has been short of runs in recent times and will have a lot to prove as gears up to face the mighty Aussie pace attack that will be armed to the teeth waiting to pounce on him. 

See also: Is it the right time for Virat Kohli to retire from international cricket?

After the hosts India suffered a shocking whitewash against New Zealand in the three-match Test series, the question is rising: Can India reach the final of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship edition?  

India strongly held the top position in the ongoing 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship percentage of points won (PCT) table before the beginning of the three-match home Test series against New Zealand. While one Test victory of the series would be enough for India to retain their top place in the table, the 3-0 shocking home Test series defeat slipped them to second place. 

The defending champions Australia are now leading the ongoing WTC PCT with 62.50%. Meanwhile, the first two WTC editions runners-up India are in second place in the same table with 58.33%. Every team wants to finish in the top two places to qualify for the ongoing edition final. 

SEE ALSO: India slip in WTC points table after shocking home whitewash

Sri Lanka (PCT 55.56%), New Zealand (PCT 54.55%), and South Africa (PCT 54.17%) also have great chances to qualify for the upcoming WTC final. Although England (PCT 40.79%) and Pakistan (PCT 33.33%) are also officially available for the WTC final qualification, they majorly have to depend on the other series results too. Bangladesh (PCT 27.50%) and West Indies (PCT 18.52%) have no more chance to qualify for the final despite still having Test series in this cycle. 

Latest 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship

Here, we are looking at how India can qualify for the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final. So, we will see how India can finish in the top two positions in the ongoing WTC PTC table.  

India now have only one Test series left. India will now tour Australia to play the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In this upcoming series, Australia will host a five-match Test series. Although India won the historic Test series in their last two tours in Australia, the upcoming tour is going to be tougher, and the recent home Test series results just confirmed this belief. 

Teams with the highest possible PCT available in the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship (If each team can win all their remaining matches)

India qualifying for the final without depending other results

Starting with the simple and easy theory, India will ensure their place in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final by securing at least a 4-0 series victory in Australia. It means India can’t lose a game in Australia to end this cycle with 65+ PCT (65.29%). If India secure 65 PCT, they can secure their position in the top two without depending on any other Test match results. 

By winning the away Test series with a 0-5 margin, India will achieve their maximum PCT available at 69.30%. However, both equations are very hard to achieve for India. 

• India winning the Test series by 0-5: 69.30 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 0-4: 65.79 PCT
  

If 60 PCT is enough for India

Seven Test series are yet to begin, and 18 Test matches will be played. So, there are high chance of seeing continuous changes in the ongoing WTC PCT. Considering other Test series battles in tight angles, if India need to secure at least 60 PCT, they need to win at least three Tests and also can’t defeat more than one Test in the upcoming Australia tour. 

• India winning the Test series by 1-4: 64.04 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 0-3: 62.28 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 1-3: 60.53 PCT

If 55 PCT enough for India

If the scene becomes more volatile, India can finish in the top two even with the 55 PCT. To secure this achievement, they can’t lose the series. While any kind of remaining Test series win will be enough for India to secure the 55+ PCT, they can also achieve it with a 2-2 series draw. 

• India winning the Test series by 2-3: 58.77 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 0-2: 58.77 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 1-2: 57.02 PCT

• India winning the Test series by 0-1: 55.26 PCT

• India drew the Test series by 2-2: 55.26 PCT

If lower than 55 PCT enough for India

With more favourable results in other series, India can reach the final of the ongoing WTC cycle with 53.51 PCT. It can be achieved with a 1-1 draw result or a 3-2 margin series defeat. 

India’s final possible PCTs after the end of the five-match Test series in Australia

India, who were dominantly holding the top position of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship points table last October, slipped after suffering a shocking home Test series whitewash against New Zealand. 

Before the three-match Test series finale Wankhede Test, hosts India already lost the Test series against New Zealand by losing the first two Tests. However, the last Test was still important for both teams due to the WTC points table. 

India failed to chase 147 runs in the fourth innings

After losing the first Test by eight wickets in Bengaluru, India lost the Pune Test by 113 runs. In the last Test at Wankhede, both teams fought bravely, but India failed to chase the 147-run target and lost by 25 runs.

Once again, the Indian batters struggled against the New Zealand spinners. Except for the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s outstanding batting performance, no other Indian batter provided a strong fightback in the fourth innings. Pant scored 64 runs, while captain Rohit Sharma (11) and Washington Sundar (12) were the only other batters to reach the double-digit scores in that innings.

Among the New Zealand bowlers in that innings, Ajaz Patel bagged six wickets (6/57) to complete the Test match with 11 wickets, while Glenn Philips took three wickets (3/42) and Matt Henry (1/10) got one wicket. 

Key historic moments of the Test series

• It was the first time India lost a Test match when chasing less than 200 runs target in the fourth innings at home. However, it wasn’t the only historic feat in this Test series.

• The Bengaluru Test defeat was India’s first home Test defeat against New Zealand since 1988. 

• It was India’s first home Test series defeat against New Zealand.

• Hosting bilateral Test series with more than one Test, it was only India’s second home whitewash but first with three Tests. India suffered their first home Test series whitewash during the South Africa tour of India in early 2000 for a two-match Test series.  

India at the 2023-2025 WTC points table 

With this Test series result, the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship has entered into a very interesting position. India have now slipped to second place while the defending champions Australia are on top. Apart from them, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka are also battling for the top two spots in the final points table of the ongoing Championship. As all these five teams are battling closely, each Test match result is important in this WTC points table. 

India

India will now play their last Test series in the ongoing WTC edition, which will be a five-match Test series against the hosts Australia. Talking about the WTC final qualification, India can’t afford a series defeat in Australia. Moreover, they need to win a good number of matches in the Australia tour to make their position safer in the points table. 

Australia

After hosting the five-match Test series against India, Australia will also tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series in late January. Both the Test series are very important for the defending WTC champions, as defeats can force them to slip into the points table. 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are in the third place in the ongoing WTC points table. They have two important Test series left. After traveling to South Africa for a two-match Test series in late November, Sri Lanka will host Australia in a two-match Test series in late January. If Sri Lanka manage to win both the Test series, they can be the finalists.  

New Zealand

By securing an incredible 3-0 whitewash against the hosts India, New Zealand are in fourth place on the ongoing WTC points table. The inaugural WTC champions are much in the game now, as strong upcoming home Test series results against England can make their place safer in the points table. However, home Test defeats against England can also force them to miss the top two places. 

South Africa

South Africa now have two home Test series left. After hosting a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, South Africa will host another two-match Test series against Pakistan. Both Test series are very important for them, as each Test match success will hold them to the stronger places in the points table. However, defeats will only take away their chances. 

Others

While West Indies and Bangladesh are out in the battle for the final two spots, England and Pakistan are still in the battle. However, with less than 50 pct, England and Pakistan are also heavily dependent on other results to reach the top two places. 

Latest points table of 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship

An absolute horror show ensued at the Wakhede Stadium on Sunday as New Zealand did the unthinkable by thrashing India 3-0 at home. Coming fresh from a brutal 0-2 hammering against an above-average Lankan side, very few optimistic cricket fans expected New Zealand to even win a Test match let alone achieve a monumental clean sweep. 

But Latham and his men have conquered the Indian fortress and by doing so have proven to the world that India are not really invincible at home. The spin combo of Ajaz and Phillips wrapped up the proceedings on day three as the duo’s combined figures of 9-99 to drive New Zealand to a historic 3-0 whitewash. Ajaz in particular, had a devastating impact on the Indian batters and picked up 11 wickets in the match to dismantle India left, right, and center in both innings. 

A look at some of the long list of unwanted records for India

If you're an Indian fan then you would surely want to look away from the list of unwanted records that India have managed to register in this forgettable three-match Test series. 

• This is the first time India has been whitewashed in a three or more Test series at home.
• It is also their first-ever Test series whitewash since the year 2000. The last time a whitewash occurred was in a two-match Test series against South Africa
• New Zealand became the first-ever team to whitewash India 3-0 on Indian soil.
• This is India's first-ever Test series defeat at home since 2012. Prior to New Zealand, England were the last team who managed to achieve this remarkable feat.
• New Zealand managed to secure their first test win against India at home since the year 1988. 
• India's paltry 46-10 at Bengaluru is the lowest score ever scored by team India in a home Test.  

The shocking Test series defeat has further aggravated India's aspirations of securing a WTC Final spot. Following the 0-3 whitewash, India now has lost its spot at the top of the tree and slipped to the second position in the points table thus paving the way for Australia at the top who have an impressive PCT of 62.5. New Zealand too have made some rapid gains and have surged to the fourth position in the points table. The 2021 WTC Champions are very much in contention for a berth in the ongoing WTC Final. India face the arduous task of winning four out of five matches in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy, which by no means will be a walk in the park for the wounded Indian side.

As we speak, the third test between India and New Zealand is on a knife edge, with the home side in dire straits. In their pursuit of 147, India made a disastrous start to the run chase and lost their top order in no time with 29 on the board. Pant is the only batter who is now holding the Indian innings together by a thread. He is currently unbeaten on 53* and his side hopes that he stays till the end to help India avoid an embarrassing series whitewash at home. 

Here is how the drama unfolded on day three

New Zealand could only manage to add three more runs to their overnight total of 171-9 before being dismissed on 174 courtesy of Jadeja’s final wicket. This meant that India was required to chase down a target of 147, which by no means was a challenging ask. But with the pitch turning square, very few could anticipate the carnage that was to come in the Indian innings. 

Rohit Sharma kicked off the run chase with a few boundaries but he turned out to be the first Indian victim to fall and was removed by Henry during the third over. That wicket triggered a procession of wickets for team India as they went from 13-1 to 29-5 in virtually a blink of an eye. The spin duo of Ajaz and Phillips took over and accounted for the bulk of the damage. 

The Indian batters struggled against the spinning ball and failed to pick the natural variations which ultimately proved to be their downfall. Ajaz Patel once again proved to be a potent threat for the home side claiming figures of 4-43 while Phillips also managed to bag an all-important wicket of Jaiswal on five. Ajaz ran through the defenses of Gill, Kohli, Jadeja, and Sarfarz. Rohit and Pant are the only two batters to register double-figure scores. 

Apart from quality spin bowling, the shot selection of some of our batters were also questionable. Gill opting to leave a straighter ball and Sarafaz holing out to Ravindra at deep square leg to a full toss were some of the brain-fade moments our batters faced in the middle.

Pant shines with the bat and keeps India afloat 

In the face of an acute adversary, one man defied all odds. The flamboyant wicket-keeper batsman Rishab Pant played with a lot of purpose to give India a fighting chance of earning a consolidation win. On a deteriorating Wankhede pitch, Pant played some swashbuckling shots to entertain the home crowd. The 27-year-old did not hesitate to use his feet against the tossed-up deliveries and deployed his sweep shots precisely on numerous instances at a time when batters have largely struggled to get their feet moving. 

He teamed up with Jadeja to help India stitch a valuable 42 runs for the sixth wicket to get India close to the target. Unfortunately, the partnership was broken by Ajaz who once again came on top to have Jadeja caught at short leg. But Pant remained resolute and has raced to 53 in only 50 balls.

At the time of writing, the game was set up nicely at lunch on day three with India at 92-6 still requiring 55 more runs to avoid a rare clean sweep at home. Pant is a ray of hope for the Men In Blue who have their backs placed firmly on the wall. He will have to grind harder for the next few overs to see India home by the end of the second session.