Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer in his analysis of the third day's play criticised the Indian players for dropping key catches and hence finding themselves chasing the game on day 4.
Several Indian players dropped key chances allowing England players to make merry of the Indian bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah had four catches dropped off his bowling. He was unlucky to also dismiss Harry Brook of a no-ball.
Eventually, Brook went onto score 99 and add to the misery of the Indian bowlers. Rishabh Pant lost a golden opportunity to stump out Brook off the bowling off Ravindra Jadeja.
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Holding Catches Is In Your Hands - Aakash Chopra
Analysing the third day's play, Aakash Chopra on his YouTube channel urged the Indian fielders to hold onto their catches and back up their bowlers.
"It sounds cliche - catches win matches - but it's true. There are disciplinary things among which some things are in your hands. Holding catches is in your hands. Improving your fielding is in your hands," Chopra said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
"Fielding and overstepping, these are the things where you have to look within, and that is where I think the Indian team has let themselves down massively. They would be hurting because they dropped catches and bowled no-balls," Chopra added.
Jasprit Bumrah, who ended with a fifer, could have ended with at least seven or eight wickets had the Indian fielders held onto the catches. Brook eventually got three lives with Bumrah dismissing him for a duck of a no-ball. Then Pant failed to clip the bails off when he was on 46. Then it was Yashasvi Jaiswal who dropped him while he was batting on his 90s.
"Bumrah bowled the no-ball, but how many catches will you drop off Bumrah's bowling? Rishabh Pant also dropped a catch. It was a difficult catch, of course, but the catch should have been taken. Yashasvi Jaiswal started as a good fielder, if you remember the Bangladesh series. He has been a good gully fielder, but he is dropping too many catches," Chopra stated.
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India Extend Lead Close to 150
Meanwhile, India have extended their lead above 140 runs on day 4 of the Test match. KL Rahul went past his fifty in the first session after Shubman Gill fell in the first hour of the day's play. After scoring a century in the first innings, he scored just 8 runs off 16 balls in the second innings.
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