Image Source: ECB
[Saba Sports News] On the third day of the ongoing third Test match against India in Rajkot, England’s Jonny Bairstow experienced another setback, being dismissed for a duck. This marked his eighth duck in Test cricket against India, a regrettable milestone for the highest number of ducks by a batter against India.
Throughout the series, Bairstow’s difficulties facing India’s bowlers were apparent, and this latest dismissal further highlighted his struggles. In an encounter with Kuldeep Yadav, the 34-year-old failed to counter Yadav’s bowling, getting out for a duck after facing four balls.
Bairstow’s brief stint at the crease came after Joe Root’s departure, with England positioned at 224 for three. However, he was out LBW to Yadav after facing only a couple of deliveries, surprised by a ball that turned sharply and failed to score.
With this, Bairstow now leads an undesirable record for the most ducks against India in Tests. His performance in the series has been below expectations, managing just 98 runs across five innings at an average of 19.60, without a single half-century.
Other players with notable numbers of ducks against India in Tests include Danish Kaneria, Nathan Lyon, James Anderson, Shane Warne, and Mervyn Dillon.
Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble commended Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling that led to Bairstow’s dismissal, highlighting the delivery’s speed, trajectory, and the turn it generated off the pitch, which even troubled wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. Kumble’s analysis on JioCinema emphasized Yadav’s effective use of variations and his ability to trouble the batsmen significantly.