To End a Day Like That Means India Went to Bed as Happier Team, Says Sanjay Bangar

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the conclusion of Day 3, JioHotstar expert Sanjay Bangar praised India’s discipline with the ball in the final session:

“Credit to India that they didn't allow the English batters to run away with the game. Both these teams were playing the waiting game; even somebody like Duckett wasn’t really charging down the wicket or playing those reverse scoops. They knew they had to hang on, and they took a few blows on their fingers as well. But all in all, to end a Day like that would certainly mean that India would go to bed the happier team. Because had they not got this particular wicket, you know what damage the England openers can do, and so far they have been very, very effective in the series.”

On how picking one wicket late in the Day could shape the momentum heading into Day 4:

“A wicket makes a massive difference. Both openers were very, very confident. Crawley even took one ball on the bicep, and Duckett was hit on the fingers. Prasidh and Akash Deep, to me, were the pick of the bowlers in that small spell. All three bowlers made life difficult for the English batters. The fact that they were imaginative, like having a sweeper cover for Zak Crawley, or even the smart placement of a slightly deeper square leg for Duckett, made the batters think about where their scoring opportunities were. So, credit to India for coming out with different plans and forcing the English batters to adjust. It was good cricket all around.”

On Akash Deep’s contribution with the bat earlier in the Day:

“Akash Deep took his chances early on against Bethell in the very first over, but after that, he was very, very thoughtful. He played like a proper batsman; he is capable of batting, and he was the one who saved India from a follow-on in the Brisbane Test match. He showed a lot of heart and wasn't afraid of the short ball. He took his chances when the field was up, defended when the field was back, and ran really well between the wickets. Yashasvi Jaiswal's contribution was also immense in that partnership, as he made sure Akash Deep stayed in the zone and helped him stitch that partnership together.”

JioHotstar expert Varun Aaron lauded Washington Sundar’s growing stature in red-ball cricket:

“Washington Sundar is showing so many levels to his game, whether it’s saving a Test match for India or accelerating towards the end with the tail. He’s gotten very important wickets as well. Washington has had one of the better Test series, and that’s because he’s gotten chance after chance. The moment you give a player security, this is what you get. That flourish towards the end was brilliant, he’s putting up some very important runs, like getting 50s on the back of 100s from the previous game.”