KS Bharat pulled off MS Dhoni-esque effort to change the complexion of Day one of the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar trophy by stumping Marnus Labuschagne for 49 runs.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 9, 2023 12:50 IST
Bharat pulled off an impressive stumping that would have made Dhoni proud (Courtesy: AP)
By India Today Web Desk: KS Bharat pulled off a stumping that even the great MS Dhoni would be proud of as he helped Ravindra Jadeja dismiss Marnus Labuschagne on Thursday on day one of the first Test in Nagpur.
Bharat was one of the debutants for India in the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he was picked ahead of Ishan Kishan for the match in Nagpur.
The 29-year-old was handed his cap by Cheteshwar Pujara on an emotional day that saw him share a heartwarming moment with his mother as well.
India started the match on the front foot with the pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj wreaking havoc in the first three overs of the match.
Siraj trapped Usman Khawaja in front of the stumps while David Warner was cleaned up by a beauty from Shami. But from that shaky start, Labuschagne and Steve Smith steadied the ship for the visitors with an 82-run stand in 202 deliveries and had safely got them to lunch without any further damage.
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Labuschagne was on 49 when Bharat decided to twist the game in India’s favour with a Dhoni-esque piece of work behind the stumps. Jadeja had drawn out the No.3 batter and the India wicketkeeper quickly whipped off the bails.
Australia would lose Matt Renshaw the very next ball as Jadeja trapped him in front of the stumps.
Bharat had opened up on his journey to the Indian team earlier on and said that it was all about the small steps he made.
“For me to believe that I had potential to play for India, it took me four or five years of continuous performances. The first three years i had brilliant seasons, then I had a lean patch. And when I had a lean patch and bounced back, it is when I realized I had some potential to make it big and not just first-class.”
“My journey has never skyrocketed. It has always consisted of small steps,” said Bharat.
