IND vs ENG - Rohit Sharma leads from the front with crucial 50 after 3 quick wickets fall

After England got off to a perfect start to the 3rd Test with three quick wickets, Team India captain Rohit Sharma stepped up, scoring a crucial half-century for both his team and himself. At the now-renamed Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in Rajkot, India faced early setbacks with the dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), Shubman Gill (0), and Rajat Patidar (5), leaving Rohit Sharma disappointed at the other end.

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Nevertheless, Sharma made sure to stay and even attack as he reached his fifty in the 22.5th over. His innings helped stabilize the innings after the three wickets that fell and it was particularly significant for the captain as well, who had been struggling with form recently. In the 1st Test, Rohit scored 24 and 39 while in the 2nd game, he scored 14 and 13 in the two innings. 

By lunchtime, India had scored 93 runs in 25 overs, losing three wickets. Rohit Sharma, accompanied by the experienced batter Ravindra Jadeja, led the recovery. Following Patidar's dismissal, England were in a commanding position at 33/3 and two debutants - Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel - waiting to bat. However, India opted to send Jadeja in at No. 5. The seasoned all-rounder helped to anchor the innings, providing stability amidst the early setbacks.

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Rohit and Jadeja built a crucial partnership for the Men in Blue, adding 60 runs in 98 balls before the lunch break. At the interval, Rohit had reached 52, while Jadeja contributed 24 runs.

For the English side, after losing the toss, they capitalized on their opportunity, with Mark Wood dismissing both Jaiswal and Gill in his two overs. Later, Tom Hartley joined in, sending back Patidar.

IND vs ENG teams:

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

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