England could scarcely have been made to feel more welcome: the walls of the team hotel are plastered with h posters of their recent feats under Ben Stokes. One reads "Let's unfold victory!" a kind of reverse origami that, if achieved in the captain's 100th Test, would secure a 2-1 lead over India with two to play.
Then there is the fact that one of their 30-strong touring party, Rehan Ahmed, could easily have been turned away at the nearly-built Rajkot Airport on Monday evening. Returning from the team's mid-tour break in Abu Dhabi, the leg-spinner unwittingly hit the tarmac with a single-entry visa that had expired by virtue of having left the country.
This oversight - one that felt pretty shoddy by the England management given the problems surrounding Shoaib Bashir' delayed arrival in India last month - could have proved costly for a side that has lost Jack Leach to injury. Instead, in the city where Mahatma Gandhi was educated, the immigration officials opted for benevolence. There is still the small matter of turning Ahmed's 48-hour temporary document into a new visa but the noises from both boards were positive two days out from the third Test. Perhaps Rajkot being twinned with Leicester, where the 19-year-old plies his trade in county cricket, may help his case.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin February 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin February 14, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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