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Team India skipper, Rohit Sharma, led from the front with the bat in a shaky first session of the third Test against England in Rajkot on Thursday, February 15. Part of his resistance included seeing off a testing opening spell against the new ball bowlers James Anderson and Mark Wood, with the latter testing him with an array of short-pitched bowling.
Rohit Sharma escaped relatively unscathed from the onslaught in terms of protecting his wicket, but he did sustain a blow to his helmet with one of Wood's trademark rapid bouncers.
The England right-arm speedster, bowling his fifth over on the trot, had begun the over with a short ball, but he took things up a notch with a more potent delivery next up.
Rohit Sharma looked to negotiate the delivery by rising to the bounce and sending it down to the third-man region. However, the ball kicked off the surface, gaining extra bounce than usual and hit the skipper straight on the helmet grille.
Mark Wood enquired about the batter's well-being after he was hit, and the batter responded with a thumbs-up gesture. Watch the delivery below:
Mark Wood, who came into the playing XI as the second seamer in place of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, justified his selection by dismissing both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in his first spell.
Rohit Sharma leads Team India's fightback with a fifty as India reach lunch at 93-3
The opening batter was a helpless figure at one end of the crease as England ran through Team India's top order in no time. The hosts were reduced to 33-3 at one stage after winning the toss.
However, following the early collapse, the skipper joined forces with Ravindra Jadeja out in the middle to repair the innings. The all-rounder was promoted to No.5 at his home ground and has played a crucial role in India not losing any more wickets in the session.
Rohit Sharma reached his fifty off 71 deliveries, showing excellent composure while balancing aggression with caution to rescue India from a perilous situation. The Men in Blue wrapped up the first session at 93-3 in 25 overs.
How many runs will the Indian skipper score in the first innings of the third Test against England? Let us know what you think.
