During the second day of the Nagpur Test, India dominated the game with a clinical performance by their skipper, Rohit Sharma, who scored a masterful 120 runs. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel contributed with half-centuries, leading India to a 144-run lead over Australia.

Debutant Todd Murphy was Australia’s best bowler with five wickets, however, as the day progressed, India asserted their control over the match. The eighth-wicket partnership between Jadeja and Patel was worth 81 runs and provided India with a strong position towards the end of the day. Patel secured his second Test fifty and Jadeja achieved his 18th as India’s lead increased on a challenging pitch.

Rohit set the tone for India’s batting with his display against the spinners on a turning pitch. Murphy was responsible for putting India in difficult situations during the first two sessions, but Rohit’s landmark century helped India take the lead. Rohit was well supported by Jadeja, who managed to hit boundaries and even survived a close LBW review against Murphy.

In the morning, Ashwin and Rohit started well and put up useful runs early on, with both players fortunate enough to get boundaries off outside edges. However, Murphy’s wickets broke their partnership, and India lost half of their side while trailing by 8.

Cheteshwar Pujara tried to be proactive and managed to hit a boundary early on, but he ended up trying to sweep a delivery and was caught by the short fine leg, giving Murphy his third wicket. Rohit remained mostly error-free and guided India expertly through the three sessions, but his dismissal on 120 by Pat Cummins with the second new ball opened the door for Australia.

Australia’s hopes were dashed when Patel played in a stoic manner and hit his stride against a tiring attack. Furthermore, Jadeja was dropped by Smith in the last over, leaving India with a good chance of building on their lead on the third day.

In conclusion, the current score stands with Australia having 177 all out, with Marnus Labuschagne scoring 49 runs and Jadeja taking 5 wickets. India is 226/5, with Rohit Sharma scoring 120 runs, Jadeja 66, Patel 52, and Murphy taking 5 wickets for 82 runs.

The first day of the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw Australia lose early wickets to India’s fast bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami. Siraj dismissed Usman Khawaja on his first ball with a full ball, which hit him on the front pad, and was adjudged LBW on review. David Warner then lost his off-stump after missing a delivery that nipped in from Shami.

Australia was in early trouble at 2/2, but an 82-run stand between Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith kept India at bay for a large part of the first session. Labuschagne started his innings at a high tempo, hitting a couple of early boundaries, while Smith was kept quiet for the first 26 balls, but eventually found his groove with a boundary over midwicket against Ravindra Jadeja. The duo managed to keep hitting boundaries and were comfortable against spin, with both managing to keep the dangerous straight deliveries out. Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 47, but soon the slide was arrested by Ravindra Jadeja.

Australia Inning

India Bowling

Jadeja made his presence felt on the field in his comeback game, first having Labuschagne stumped while trying to drive, and then trapping Matt Renshaw LBW’s first ball from round the wicket. Jadeja then beat Steve Smith on the inside edge with a straighter delivery to get him bowled. This was followed by a counter-attacking Alex Carey, who picked up seven boundaries in his 33-ball 36 but was eventually dismissed by R Ashwin. Ashwin then managed to set up Pat Cummins to be caught at slip and had debutant Todd Murphy LBW.

Australia was bowled out for 177, with Ravindra Jadeja bagging 5/47. India then further cemented their strong position with Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul starting their innings with a string of boundaries against Pat Cummins. Rohit brought up his 15th Test fifty, but KL Rahul was dismissed by Todd Murphy for 20. Rohit and nightwatchman R Ashwin saw off the rest of the deliveries as India finished in a strong position at 77/1, leading Australia by 100 runs.

India Batting

Australia Bowling

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been granted clearance to play in the first Test match against Australia in Nagpur by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The NCA issued a fitness report on Jadeja on Wednesday, February 1, allowing him to join the rest of the team in Nagpur for their training camp prior to the Test series.

Jadeja was last seen in action for India during the Asia Cup in August 2022 but suffered a knee injury that required surgery and kept him out of action for five months, including the T20 World Cup in Australia. The 34-year-old made a comeback last week in a Ranji Trophy match for Saurashtra, where he bowled 41.1 overs and took a seven-wicket haul in the second innings, indicating his readiness for Test cricket.

Although Jadeja’s return is a boost to India’s chances in Nagpur, they will be without middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer. Iyer was ruled out of the New Zealand series due to a back injury and has been undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru. Although his fitness status is still being monitored, it is expected that he will not be available for the first Test in Nagpur but could be available for the second Test in Delhi starting February 17.

Ravindra Jadeja’s return to the Indian cricket team has been highly anticipated by fans and cricket experts alike. The all-rounder’s ability to contribute with both bat and ball makes him a valuable asset to the team, especially in the Test format.

Jadeja’s presence in the middle order will add depth to the batting line-up, allowing the team to put up bigger scores on the board. His ability to spin the ball both ways and his agility in the field will make him a dangerous proposition for the Australian batsmen.

In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, the Indian team management will be relieved to have Jadeja back on the side. Iyer has been in great form in recent times and his injury is a setback for the team. However, the NCA’s decision to monitor his fitness and work on his rehabilitation program shows the team’s commitment to ensuring that all their players are at their best for the upcoming series.

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The Nagpur Test promises to be an exciting contest between two top-ranked teams. With Ravindra Jadeja’s return, India’s chances of securing a victory have significantly improved. Fans will be eagerly awaiting his performance, hoping to see him replicate the form that earned him the nickname “Sir Ravindra Jadeja”.