On Day 2 of the second Test against England, India found themselves in need of a game-changing moment as England's opener Zak Crawley was dominating the bowling lineup. Celebrating his birthday, Crawley had swiftly amassed 61 runs off just 50 balls post-lunch, posing a significant threat with his aggressive batting. During the second session, a strategic drinks break provided India the opportunity to regroup. Post-break, captain Rohit Sharma introduced left-arm spinner Axar Patel to the attack, a decision that would prove crucial.
Crawley, looking to capitalise against the new bowler, ended his innings at 74 in an attempt to dominate Axar. Despite hitting a boundary off Axar towards mid-wicket, Crawley's aggressive attempt on the next delivery led to his downfall. Axar cleverly bowled a wider and slower ball, enticing Crawley to step out and attempt a big shot. The result was a leading edge that initially seemed destined to land safely; however, Shreyas Iyer, demonstrating remarkable athleticism, ran back from the backward point to secure an impressive catch.
This pivotal moment not only prevented Crawley from scoring a century on his birthday but also marked a turning point for India. Earlier, a missed stumping chance by KS Bharat on Ollie Pope had gone begging. The breakthrough came earlier from Kuldeep Yadav, who dismissed Ben Duckett, caught by debutant Rajat Patidar.
Crawley's dismissal led to further success for India as Jasprit Bumrah subsequently took Joe Root and Ollie Pope's wicket, placing England at 155/4 at Tea on Day 2. This sequence of events shifted the momentum in India's favor.
Earlier in the day, Yashasvi Jaiswal, resuming at an unbeaten 179, reached his double century, becoming the third youngest Indian to achieve this feat in Tests. Jaiswal's remarkable innings of 209 was instrumental in India posting a first innings total of 396, single-handedly anchoring the Indian batting effort.
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