Ben Stokes was caught on camera using saliva on the ball during the third Test at Motera on Wednesday. Once it was evident he was doing it, the umpire walked up to him and had a word to caution him. Using saliva on a ball to shine is banned in the post COVID world. Stokes is not the only cricketer who has done it without realising. Cricketers are still getting used to the development of the rules of the game.

It was not a day that belonged to Stokes as he merely scored six runs. Axar Patel got his wicket. Stokes surely looked off-colour on the opening day of the crucial Test.

Without a doubt, Day one belonged to the hosts as England was bowled out for 112 runs in under 50 overs in the third Test on Wednesday. Axar Patel was the star of the show for the hosts as he picked up six wickets on a Motera strip that assisted spin on day one, Ravichandran Ashwin also chipped in with three wickets to his name.

At stumps, India is trailing by 13 runs. Ideally, India would not want to bat in the fourth innings on a crumbling pitch and hence the first hour of the second day would be crucial. India would not like to lose a wicket and lay a platform for a massive first-innings score.
For England, they have to pick early wickets to make a comeback in the match. The tourists would rely heavily on its pacers to deliver on the second day.