At the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India and England will face off in the second Test of a five-match series.
Day four of the continuing contest produced a memorable moment as England’s captain, Rohit Sharma, dismissed Ollie Pope in the second inning with an incredible catch. When R. Ashwin bowled near the stumps, Pope was tempted to play the cut, but the attempt was short-lived as the ball went sharply to Rohit’s left at shoulder height in the first slip.
After Ashwin sent Pope back to the pavilion, Rohit Sharma, with lightning-fast reflexes, caught the ball, much to Ashwin’s delight. Announcing on air that Rohit had less than a second, precisely 0.45 seconds, to react and collect the catch,
Indian cricketer and series analyst Dinesh Karthik highlighted Rohit Sharma’s remarkable slip-fielding abilities.
WHAT A CATCH FROM ROHIT SHARMA …!!! 🤯pic.twitter.com/7rPNYMw6pe
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 5, 2024
India is keen to level the series by winning this second Test, which is currently underway. A victory in Vizag would set them on the correct track in their five remaining matches, but a defeat may have a big effect on their position in the World Test Championship (WTC) points standings.
Prior to this in the game, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Shreyas Iyer were instrumental in helping the home team establish a commanding 398-run lead in their second inning. Although Jasprit Bumrah’s actions were essential in England being bowled out for just 253 in their first innings, giving India a 143-run advantage, England’s bowlers, especially Tom Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, made significant contributions. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s outstanding double-century in India’s opening innings set up an intriguing contest in the second Test.
In Rajkot, the third Test of the series will begin play on February 15.