The prediction of Indian cricket experts, "India will dominate in cricket," is now coming true. The largest test victory for India in terms of runs (434 runs) in Rajkot has testified to this. With this victory, Team India has secured a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series against England. The fourth match will be played in Ranchi between February 23 and 27. Let's understand in 4 points how Indian players deflated the aura of England's 'baseball' in the last 20 months..

Look At This

1. Constructing flat pitches and neutralizing English spinners

England won the first match by 28 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. In the match played in Hyderabad, the English spinners took 18 wickets. Debutant Tom Hartley took a total of 9 wickets. He dismissed two batters in the first inning and seven in the second inning. Joe Root, Jack Leach, and Rehan Ahmed got two wickets each.

In response, the Indian team management prepared flat pitches for the Visakhapatnam and Rajkot Tests. The flat pitches, tailored for batting, rendered England's inexperienced spinners ineffective. As a result, India won the second Test by 106 runs and the third Test by 434 runs.

 

2. Youthful batting: Yashasvi and Sarfaraz played sweep shots.

In the series, the Indian team debuted young batsmen like Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel. This strengthened the middle order. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were already present in the top order.

These youngsters played sweep and reverse sweep shots, weakening England's bowling. In the six matches of the series, Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 545 runs at an average of 109. Gill also contributed with a century and a half, scoring 252 runs. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Khan made a contribution of 130 runs with two half-centuries in his debut match.

 

3. English middle order flopped

England's middle order failed on Indian pitches. Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jonny Bairstow couldn't perform as expected. Joe Root scored 77 runs in 3 matches, Jonny Bairstow scored 102, and Ben Stokes scored 190 runs. Ben Foakes managed only 109 runs.

In the series, Bumrah dismissed Root three times, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed him twice, and Ravichandran Ashwin once. Overall, Bumrah has dismissed Root for the ninth time, while Jadeja has sent him back seven times.

Similarly, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Stokes twice. Ashwin dismissed Stokes for the 12th time. Bumrah and Jadeja sent Bairstow back to the pavilion twice each. Ben Foakes fell victim to Axar Patel twice.

 

4. Reverse swing by Indian fast bowlers

In the second and third Tests, Indian fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj used the reverse swing to their advantage. This benefited both of them, making them the top wicket-takers of the series. Bumrah has taken 17 wickets in three matches. He took nine wickets in the second Test, leading India to victory. Bumrah also took six wickets in the first Test.

Apart from Bumrah, Siraj took four wickets. Siraj achieved all four successes in the Rajkot Test.

 

What is baseball?

There is no official baseball theory in cricket books, but it is a term coined to demonstrate England's new attacking approach in Test cricket. Baseball is a combination of two words, 'Bace' and 'Ball'. 'Base' is the nickname of England's Test team head coach Brendon McCullum, and 'Ball' is a cricket element without which the game is not possible. These two words combined to form 'Baseball'.

McCullum is a former New Zealand cricketer known for his aggressive batting during his career. He used to focus on hitting big shots from the first to the last ball as an opener. This same strategy has been adopted by England's Test team under the captaincy of Ben Stokes.

Read other sports news too.

India wins the Rajkot Test by 434 runs. The biggest win by runs, Yashasvi's double century, and Jadeja Player of the Match

 

In Rajkot, facing a target like a mountain of 557 runs, the England team could only score 122 runs in the fourth inning. India won the third Test by a record 434 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the series. The fourth test will start in Ranchi on February 23rd.

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a record 12 sixes, also setting the record for the most sixes in the series, leaving Rohit Sharma behind.

 

Team India has won the Rajkot Test by a record 434 runs. The England team could only manage 122 runs in the fourth inning, facing a target of 557 runs. In terms of runs, this is India's biggest victory.