Jadeja celebrating Root's wicket (AP Photos)
In a crucial moment of the Test match between India and England, England's former captain, Joe Root, fell victim to Ravindra Jadeja's spin prowess after a miscued sweep shot, shifting the momentum back in India's favor.
After England unleashed wrath with bazball intent in the first hour of the Hyderabad Test, the visitors were humbled by the Indian spin attack. In a smart move, Rohit Sharma brought spin from both ends, which triggered a top-order collapse.
However, Jonny Bairstow and veteran batter Joe Root rebuilt the innings and salvaged the damage at lunch. The duo put together a 50-run partnership and looked headstrong until the spinners were back to trouble the visitors.
After Jadeja and Ashwin's carnage, Axar Patel broke the partnership by removing Bairstow right after lunch. Moreover, Jadeja fed on the momentum to send the dangerous Joe Root packing.
Root expected the spinner to bowl full and thus attempted a premeditated sweep shot. However, Jadeja switched plans at the last minute to pull back his length, which proved to be disastrous for Root.
The sweep attempt was majorly unsuccessful as Root ended up getting a major top edge, which went straight to short fine leg as Jasprit Bumrah completed a regulation catch to end Root's sturdy stay at the crease.
With that, England lost half their side in the two initial sessions of the Hyderabad Test. While the visitors successfully managed to attack the pace unit early on, the spin trio wreaked havoc on the English side.
The skipper, Ben Stokes, is now out in the middle to rescue. However, a comeback from this stage is nothing but an uphill task for England. A couple of additional wickets in the second session would turn the tide in India's favor.