Woakes, known more for his precision than raw pace, bowled the fifth delivery of his over, a length ball that jagged back into Jaiswal. The batter attempted a shot but misjudged the movement, resulting in the ball striking high on the bat. To everyone's surprise, the bat snapped in two, with the handle and blade separating on impact
Yashasvi Jaiswal reacts after breaking his bat on day one of the fourth Test (Pic: AFP)
Yashasvi Jaiswal endured a testing passage of play during the opening session of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, as Chris Woakes repeatedly troubled the young Indian opener with deliveries that nipped back sharply off the seam. Unlike KL Rahul, who looked relatively composed at the crease, Jaiswal appeared unsettled, particularly against Woakes, whose persistence almost paid dividends early.
The most dramatic moment came in the ninth over of India’s innings. Woakes, known more for his precision than raw pace, bowled the fifth delivery of his over, a length ball that jagged back into Jaiswal. The batter attempted a shot but misjudged the movement, resulting in the ball striking high on the bat. To everyone's surprise, the bat snapped in two, with the handle and blade separating on impact, although replays suggested the blame may not rest solely with the bowler. Jaiswal seemed to have held the bat with a loose, elevated grip, which likely contributed to the breakage.
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Karun Nair, stationed on the sidelines, quickly rushed onto the field with a fresh set of bats, ensuring the disruption was brief. The incident, while not costing India a wicket, seemed to put the pressure on display that Jaiswal is under following a lukewarm showing at Lord's.
India, however, managed to keep their innings intact as the openers weathered the early probing spells. The decision by England captain Ben Stokes to bowl first on what is anticipated to be a flat Manchester pitch raised a few eyebrows, but India’s opening pair made steady progress. By the 15-over mark, India had moved to 43 without loss, with both Jaiswal and Rahul showing greater control after a cautious start.
Rahul, in particular, looked assured, offering soft hands and compact footwork against the moving ball. Jaiswal, though far from fluent, began to settle as the innings progressed, leaving balls judiciously and punishing the occasional loose delivery.
Teams:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
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