The Indian cricket team has a tall task ahead of them. Despite a remarkable comeback on Day 3 of the India vs England 4th Test, Rohit Sharma and co. still need to chase down 192 runs to win the series 3-1. But with inconsistent bounce and spin, doing so won’t be easy.
We have to also keep in mind that only twice has a total above 192 been chased down at the JSCA International Stadium Complex. Now, both of these successful chases have happened in the Ranji Trophy, and so one has to take these statistics with a pinch of salt.
| Match | Year | Target Set | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jharkhand vs Uttarakhand | 2020 | 203 | Jharkhand won by 6 wickets |
| Jharkhand vs Gujarat | 2017 | 16 | Gujarat won by 10 wickets |
| Jharkhand vs Haryana | 2017 | 80 | Jharkhand won by 10 wickets |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Jammu & Kashmir | 2016 | 210 | Himachal Pradesh won by 5 wickets |
| Chhattisgarh vs Tripura | 2016 | 13 | Chhattisgarh won by 9 wickets |
How should India go about the chase?
In the first three days of the fourth Test, we have seen batting being easier in the first session but becoming increasingly difficult in the next two sessions. This trend has continued on Day 3 as well. Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav managed to play the first hour and eventually cut down the trail to 46.
However, in the second session, we saw English batters get deceived by both spin and bounce. With rough being created and cracks growing by the minute, there is no certainty about which ball to spin, keep low, or jump high.
For Rohit Sharma and co. to emerge victorious, they need to capitalize on the first session of Day 4 and ensure that they remain aggressive and not let Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley settle.
They have already seen Bashir tear their middle order apart and eventually claim his maiden 5-wicket haul against them, and they would not like for the tall off-spinner to do what Ravichandran Ashwin managed to do to the visitors.
