India’s Visakhapatnam Test history: Rohit’s pivotal innings and England’s defeat
Visakhapatnam is a relatively recent addition to the roster of international cricket venues, especially for Test matches.
The second Test between India and England will take place at the Dr. YS Rajashekar Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, commencing this Friday. India aims to recover from a surprising defeat in the first Test held in Hyderabad. Despite securing a 190-run lead in the initial innings, India managed to limit England to a score of 163/5 in their second innings, with key players Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, and Ben Stokes departing early without making significant contributions.
Nevertheless, Ollie Pope spearheaded an extraordinary comeback for England, amassing a remarkable 196 runs himself, thereby setting a target of 231 for India to pursue. Despite a lackluster performance in India’s initial innings, debutant spinner Tom Hartley made a remarkable turnaround, dismantling the host’s batting lineup and concluding with impressive figures of 7/62. England clinched victory by 28 runs after teetering on the brink of an innings defeat earlier in the match. This outcome sets the stage for an exciting series ahead, as India finds itself unexpectedly tested on home turf.
The YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium is a relatively recent addition to the landscape of Indian cricket, especially in terms of hosting Test matches. While it has accommodated 10 ODIs since 2005 and four T20Is since 2016, it has only been the venue for two Test matches thus far.
Past Tests in Visakhapatnam
During the first-ever Test match played in Visakhapatnam from November 17 to 21, 2016, India faced England at the YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium. Captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat. Despite a shaky start that saw openers Murali Vijay and KL Rahul dismissed within the first five overs, centuries from Kohli (167) and Cheteshwar Pujara (119), along with a half-century from Ravichandran Ashwin (58), propelled India to a total of 455. Ashwin then claimed a five-wicket haul as England was bundled out for 255. In the second innings, India set a target of 405 for the visitors. Ashwin and Jayant Yadav secured three wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami claimed two apiece as England was dismissed for 158, resulting in India’s victory by 246 runs.
In 2019, the second Test match held at the stadium marked a pivotal moment in the career trajectory of India’s current captain, Rohit Sharma. Despite previously struggling to replicate his immense success in limited overs cricket in the longest format, India decided to deploy him as an opener, a role where he had excelled globally in shorter formats. Rohit’s impact was immediate and profound in the opening match of the series against South Africa. Partnering with Mayank Agarwal, he forged a monumental 317-run opening partnership, amassing 176 runs off just 244 balls. Agarwal contributed significantly with 215 runs from 371 balls, enabling India to declare at 502/7. South Africa mounted a strong response, with Dean Elgar (160) and Quinton de Kock (111) both notching centuries, while captain Faf du Plessis added 55 runs. However, they were eventually dismissed for 431, with Ashwin claiming seven wickets. In India’s second innings, Rohit further solidified his position as an opener by becoming the first player to score two centuries in his debut Test match in that role. He scored a blistering 127 runs from 149 balls as India declared at 323/4, setting a target of 395 for South Africa. The Proteas were eventually all out for 191, with Shami claiming five wickets and Jadeja taking four, leading India to victory by 203 runs.
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