Watch: Rohit Sharma left red-faced by Sarfaraz Khan after the Indian captain doesn't take a DRS that could've gone in the team's favor

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma faced embarrassment during the opening day of the fifth and final Test match against England. Rohit Sharma decided not to take a review despite a confident appeal from young cricketer Sarfaraz Khan earlier in the second session on Day 1.

The Indian team is currently facing off against the Ben Stokes-led team in the final Test at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Despite losing the first match in Hyderabad, the home team secured the series victory with a margin of 3-1.

Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first in the match. England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett survived the challenging period against Indian pacers in the opening session. The duo added yet another half-century partnership in England’s first innings.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav broke the partnership. Ben Duckett attempted a big shot but mistimed it, resulting in Shubman Gill running back and completing a well-judged catch. Duckett had to depart for the pavilion after scoring 27 runs off 58 balls.

Kuldeep Yadav dismissed England vice-captain Ollie Pope just before the lunch break on the opening day. Pope managed to score just 11 runs off 24 deliveries before being stumped by Dhruv Jurel. At the time of writing, England is placed at 136-6 after 36 overs.

Watch: Rohit Sharma Left Red-Faced By Sarfaraz Khan

pic.twitter.com/6xm1f2Ah5R

— Kirkit Expert (@expert42983) March 7, 2024

pic.twitter.com/egoh1TqJoo

— Kirkit Expert (@expert42983) March 7, 2024

Kuldeep Yadav delivered a flighted ball down the leg side in the first over of the second session. Zak Crawley attempted a glance, and the ball deflected towards Sarfaraz Khan at short leg. Rohit Sharma chose not to review the decision due to the keeper’s lack of confidence.

Both Sarfaraz and Shubman Gill were confident and wanted a review. The UltraEdge indicated a slight spike, suggesting that Crawley could have been dismissed. Sarfaraz observed the replay on the big screen and smiled, with Rohit also smiling upon seeing Sarfaraz’s reaction.

Good Pitch To Bat On – Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma expressed his aim to conclude the series strongly. He noted expectations of a better bounce on the current pitch compared to previous games. Sharma anticipated favorable batting conditions and minimal pitch deterioration throughout the match.

“We would have batted first as well. We have done really well so far this series and an opportunity to finish on a high. There should be good bounce on this pitch than the games before in this series. Good pitch to bat on and I don’t think it will deteriorate that much,” Rohit said.

India vs England Playing XI In Fifth Test Match

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes(c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Mark Wood, James Anderson

Also read: Rohit Sharma reacts to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s Central Contract termination by the BCCI