The buzz around the JSCA Stadium ahead of the fourth India-England Test was rather muted on match-eve. This is perhaps why tickets have been priced as low as ₹400. And if you shell out ₹2000, you can land in the JSCA President’s Enclosure!
“Dhoni khel raha hai? (is Dhoni playing),” asked Gopal, a taxi driver. On learning that one of Jharkhand’s favourite sons had long retired from international cricket, he asked if Virat Kohli was playing. Disappointed on that count too, he wore an exasperated look. “Team mein bacha hi kya hai (what’s left of the team),” he muttered.
IND vs ENG Tests | Ranchi pitch in focus as Rohit and Stokes’ men gear up for the crucial fourth Test
Perception matters, in sports like in politics. But without Dhoni for long, and without Kohli this series, India has mostly won that battle. The Test side of today is an all-conquering unit, and over three matches in the last month, it has dipped into its seemingly inexhaustible reserves to bounce back from a 0-1 deficit to go 2-1 ahead.
The fourth Test starting on Friday will be an opportunity to take an unassailable lead that will guarantee India a 17th straight series win at home, stretching back to 2012-13. Maybe that will convince Gopal to also come around, for there is more to this team than Dhoni and Kohli.
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan have been central to this. Jaiswal has scored two double centuries; Gill, despite being under fire, has a century and a fifty and Sarfaraz made a confident debut in Rajkot with two half-centuries.
Speedster Akash Deep may be the next newcomer with a chance to impress, for he is in competition with Mukesh Kumar to take Jasprit Bumrah’s place. Neither will come close to Bumrah’s excellence — 17 wickets at 13.64 this series — but complementing Mohammed Siraj will be the need of the hour.
