Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set up India's highest opening partnership in 4th innings since 2008

Team India is on a roll in the ongoing 4th of a 5-match Test series against England here at the JSCA stadium in Ranchi. The Indians under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma are closing in on another home Test series win that should be completed by today.

But among the reasons why India are nearing a victory in the 4th Test is Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s solid start to the 4th innings, standing for an 84-run partnership, which is the highest ever opening partnership in the 4th innings for India in 16 years.

Back in 2008, the famous right-hand-left-hand opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had stood for a partnership of 117 runs in the 4th innings during India’s Test match against England in Chennai.

That is the highest an opening pair has ever managed to score in the final innings of the match and earlier today, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal amassed the 2nd best partnership.

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Yashasvi Jaiswal fails to score 50+ for the first time in 2 Test innings

Yashasvi Jaiswal who has been a major revelation for the Indian team in this Test series, has failed to put up a 50+ score for the first time in his last 2 Tests innings in Rajkot and Ranchi. In the 3rd Test, the 22-year-old was raging in full confidence as he smacked his second double hundred of the series and remained not out at 214.

His splendid knock had helped the Indians post a mammoth 557-run target which the English contingent failed to chase down and succumbed to a total of just 122 to hand India their biggest-ever Test match victory by 434 runs.

Then earlier in the 2nd innings of the 4th Test, Jaiswal was looking in a mood to reach another triple-figure score but he was unfortunate to have dragged on a length delivery from Tom Hartley back into the stumps to depart for 73.

And then in the 4th innings during India’s 192 run chase, Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to put up a 50+ score for the first time in 2 Test innings.

Now whenever Jaiswal gets out for a low score or a less than 50 score, eyebrows will raise because of the type of standard he has set for himself already in just a handful of Test matches. The left-hand batter made his Test debut less than 12 months ago but has already made himself a first-choice opening partner with skipper Rohit Sharma.

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India in a tricky situation as half of the team heads to the pavilion

The 4th Test in Ranchi is on its head as England bowlers have sent half of the Indian batting order back to the dressing room. The spin battery and its strategy are making this happen for the visitors who are taking full advantage of the cracks and condition of the surface which has deteriorated on day 4.

It was always going to be a difficult pitch to bat on in the 4th innings but credit must go to Tom Hartley, Joe Root, and especially Shoaib Bashir who has held onto a tight middle stump line, bowling orthodox off-spin with a leg slip on. Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill are currently on the crease, hustling to make the series 3-1.

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