"We are looking at an upset if England get to 200 or more" - Aakash Chopra on India's challenging situation heading into Day 4 of 1st Test
Aakash Chopra reckons England could upset India in the ongoing first Test in Hyderabad if they set a 200-plus target for the hosts.
Ben Stokes and company ended Day 3 on Saturday (January 27) at 316/6. They have a lead of 126, with a well-set Ollie Pope (148*) and Rehan Ahmed (16*) at the crease.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that a 200-run target would be challenging for India. The former India opener reckons Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja would be the hosts' key batters in such a scenario, elaborating (7:15):
"It will be challenging. It will not be a straightforward win. The second new ball is my big hope because it can stay low or climb, or turn more or less, and then you get a wicket, the floodgates open and wickets fall in a bunch."
"If that does not happen, and say England play until Lunch, India will start looking towards Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja because I don't think batting here will be easy for the others. We are looking at an upset if they (England) get to 200 or more," Chopra added.
Rohit scored 24 runs in India's first-innings total of 436. Jadeja (87), KL Rahul (86) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (80) were India's star performers with the bat in their first essay.
"He was absolute gold dust" - Aakash Chopra lauds Jasprit Bumrah's spell
![Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Ben Duckett and Joe Root in the second session of Day 3. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/4eff7-17063671373288-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra noted that India would have been in a worse situation but for Jasprit Bumrah's potent second-session spell. He said (3:00):
"If India had not won the second session, this match would have been placed differently. We are talking about spin but Jasprit Bumrah came. He showed his class. He was absolutely brilliant. He was absolute gold dust."
The reputed commentator praised the seamer for getting rid of Ben Duckett and Joe Root. He stated:
"He picked up two wickets. Ben Duckett was ultimately bowled with an incoming ball. He would have got him lbw had the DRS been used earlier. Joe Root's wicket - the setup was extremely good. He kept taking the ball away and then brought the ball in and hit his pads."
Bumrah registered figures of 2/29 in 12 overs. The right-arm seamer first castled Duckett with a reverse-swinging delivery for a 52-ball 47 before trapping Root (2) in front of the wickets with another incoming delivery in his next over.