Uncapped Andhra keeper-batsman KS Bharat made a mark on the team management by leading India’s fightback on Day 1 of the warm-up match vs Leicestershire, on Thursday, with an enterprising half-century, and was the top-scorer of the side that kept losing wickets regularly.
Bharat, who was picked over Wriddhiman Saha as the backup keeper to Rishabh Pant for the upcoming Edgbaston Test, repaid the selectors’ faith; at the time of writing, Bharat is 69* off 110 balls in India’s so-far score of 244/8 at the 60-over mark, while the next highest score in the line-up, at the moment, is Virat Kohli’s 33.
KS Bharat leads India’s fightback from a loose situation
Rishabh Pant was drafted into the Leicestershire team along with Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna so that all the players get match practise before the all-important Edgbaston Test.
With Virat Kohli at the other end, KS Bharat came in to bat in the first session at the score of 81/5 as Roman Walker, who hadn’t played a single first-class game till today, ran through the Indian batting order. Walker got his five-wicket haul by the end of Tea including the wicket of Virat Kohli.
Bharat and Kohli added 57 runs before the falls of Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur. Umesh Yadav came out swinging for the fences and scored a quickfire 23 in a 66-run stand with Bharat, who remained resolute at his end. After Umesh’s dismissal, it was with Mohammed Shami that Bharat took India to a respectable score of 246 before rain interrupted play again.
Bharat survived the threatening spell from Walker before unleashing his array of shots on other bowlers. All in, so far he has stroked 8 fours and walloped a six to part-time off-spinner Nathan Bowley.
Fans lauded KS Bharat for his vital contribution and for showing his class and temperament to tackle the difficult situation:
That will be Tea on Day 1 of the practice match.#TeamIndia are 175/7 (KS Bharat 34*) pic.twitter.com/3KjGnqgXHk
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 23, 2022
Saha may feel aggrieved by it but TM were absolutely right to move on from him when they did and groom a younger player in K S Bharat as the 2nd keeper.
And Dravid doing the courtesy of telling Saha that he is no longer in their plans is the bare minimum TM should do.
— Akash Kumar Jha (@Akashkumarjha14) June 23, 2022
Fifty for KS Bharat, 50* from 93 balls, solid knock under pressure when most of them struggled on Day 1. pic.twitter.com/gOok8rHllx
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat scores a wonderful fifty in the warm up game against Leicestershire.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 23, 2022
He should replace pant in our playing x1 who averages 23 in dng
— N. (@Relax_Boiss) June 23, 2022
Can easily replace Iyer in the Xi
— Tributer (@tributer18_) June 23, 2022
Unfortunately he may be benched bcz of pant !
— Vikram (@Vikram35520277) June 23, 2022
KS stepping up when all others failed
— Ishan (@IshanMi82744590) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat completes his half-century. India 208/7#LEIvIND
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat makes good use of the outing against Leicestershire, compiling a well-made fifty
#LEIvIND pic.twitter.com/7Tr5Yiq46F
— CricXtasy (@CricXtasy) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat played gem of a knock here. Some of the shots were too beautiful. If not for him, our total would be atrocious
— Rohith (@rohithk13) June 23, 2022
specially coming against a tinpot team like Leicestershire.It seems that now Test match has become a game of youngsters as whole batting line-up with experience have failed to deliver but Ks bharat still standing.
And the ubeaten record at Aus was also breaked by youngsters only.#INDvsENG— Shubham Singh (@shubham31276) June 23, 2022
Srikar Bharat has been impressive.
Currently batting on 59(104)#IndvsLei— Utkarsh (@UtkarshZarf) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat is carrying our efforts of holding out against the British even after independence
— Loli Hunter (@shiv_t3ds) June 23, 2022
KS Bharat is carrying our efforts of holding out against the British even after independence
— Loli Hunter (@shiv_t3ds) June 23, 2022
