India v England | Adil Rashid: We bowled to a plan

11/28/2016

Adil Rashid is confident of England “knocking over” India’s lower-order quickly on the third day of the ongoing third Test in Mohali on Monday (Nov 28) after the leg-break bowler helped the visitors wrest back the initiative by taking three crucial wickets.

Yorkshire’s Rashid dismissed Parthiv Patel, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to derail the Indian innings before the unbroken seventh-wicket pair of Ravichandran Ashwin (57) and Ravindra Jadeja (31) lifted the hosts to 271-6 at stumps on day two, 12 short of England’s first-innings total.

Rahane has been struggling for form. “You know that was the plan initially, to bowl flat and straight and to mix it up. That ball just came out quite good and it trapped him in front,” 28-year-old Rashid said of the dismissal.

“Sometimes it’s planned, sometimes it’s a gut feeling and whatever it is, it is. I don’t look to get praise from anybody or the media. I just look to keep my head down and concentrate on the nets and work hard. Obviously go out there and give your 100%. If wickets come, they come. If they don’t, no big deal.

“Sometimes, you know you get some luck as well, but obviously hard work in the nets. Working on a few technical things or working out batsmen’s field placings. It’s about really being confident and having that belief that you can get the best players in the world out. Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t. At the moment, it is going okay so far.”

Rashid said the side bowled to a plan, and Virat Kohli’s dismissal – caught behind off pacer Ben Stokes for 62 – was “a big wicket”.

“It was a big wicket, we all know that. The guy is a class player and to get him for 60-odd you know, happy with staying with our plans,” Rashid said.

“For Stokesy to get him as well, you know there’s been a bit of friction between the two. For Stokesy to get him shows the class of Stokesy as well. He really runs in and gives his 100%, he got his rewards there. Our aim is to get him out for as least as possible.

“270 for 6, I think we’ll take that at the end of the day. We bowled exceptionally well as a team. We stuck to our plans and we got our rewards in the other end of the session. They (Ashwin and Jadeja) got a little partnership, those things happen in cricket. But hopefully, we can come back tomorrow and knock them over.”

India v England | Adil Rashid: We bowled to a plan

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