ENG vs IND 2025: 'You can probably say that we haven't missed Rohit Sharma' - Aakash Chopra lauds KL Rahul-Yashasvi Jaiswal partnership in 4th Test
"Both KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal played well. That was good because the conditions were overcast," Aakash Chopra said.
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Aakash Chopra praised the opening partnership between KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal on Day 1 of the first innings of the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
After Ben Stokes opted to field first in overcast conditions on Wednesday, July 23, England pacers would have been confident of making early inroads. However, both Rahul and Yashasvi showed great resilience to blunt out the new ball. India didn't lose a single wicket in the first session. The duo added 94 runs in 30 overs.
While Rahul was dismissed for 46, Jaiswal went on to make 58. Chopra said that after a long time, India batted out the first session without losing a wicket after being asked to bat first on Day 1 of a Test match in England.
"It was a good opening partnership. Both KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal played well. That was good because the conditions were overcast. The ball wasn't moving that much, but it was moving. You lost the toss and were asked to bat first, and you didn't lose a single wicket in the first session. This has happened after a very long time in England," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels that after Rahul and Yashasvi's heroics, it can be said that former India captain and opener Rohit Sharma, who retired from Test cricket in May, isn't being missed.
"Yashasvi played very cautiously. He was very, very selective about the shots to play. KL Rahul was unfortunate to miss his half-century, but it was a significant opening partnership. Now you can probably say that we haven't missed Rohit Sharma that much because both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul have done a phenomenal job," he added.
Sai Sudharsan is a proper player: Aakash Chopra
Chopra also heaped praise on Sai Sudharsan, who played a gritty knock of 61 off 151 balls on Wednesday. The former India opener opined that Sudharsan should not have been dropped from the side after making his debut in the first Test.
"Sai Sudharsan is a proper player. You played him the first match and then you dropped him, and we started wondering why you did that. He had scored 30. He was not too bad. All of us believe that he is a special talent, and you had played him after breaking the line," he said.
Sudharsan's update on Pant injury after Day 1 in Manchester
"If this had been his fourth Test match, he might have been seen batting in even better rhythm. He has played a very typical, classic Test match knock. He is a phenomenal player. Unfortunately, he got out on 61, but he played a proper Test match knock," Chopra observed.
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