NEW DELHI: An all-round performance by Ravichandran Ashwin, on his home ground, helped India to beat England by 317 runs in the second Test to level the 4-match series 1-1 in Chennai today (Tuesday).
Chasing an improbable target of 482 on a vicious turner, England surrendered to the Indian spinners in the second session on Day 4, being bundled out for 164 in their second innings. This also ended England’s six-match win streak away from home.
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel claimed a five-wicket haul on his Test debut. Ashwin took eight wickets in the match and hit 106 with the bat as India bounced back from their opening loss in the four-match series.
Resuming on 53-3, England reached 116 for seven when Kuldeep Yadav sent back Ben Foakes for two and umpires called lunch on day four. Skipper Joe Root was batting on 33 in England’s chase of 482.
Ashwin got Dan Lawrence stumped for 26 on his first delivery of the day with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant acting swiftly behind the stumps. Later, Ashwin had Stokes caught at slip for eight to take his match tally to eight wickets.
Fellow spinner Patel took the wicket of Ollie Pope for 12. Root survived a reprieve on 32 when he miscued a reverse sweep and Mohammed Siraj dropped an easy chance at backward point-off spinner Yadav.
Joe Root (33 off 92) fell on the 5th ball after the break. The next over from Axar Patel saw him become the 9th Indian to register a five-wicket haul on debut as Olly Stone got castled for a duck.
With not much left in the game for England, Moeen Ali blasted 3 consecutive sixes off Axar Patel and played at a strike rate in excess of 200 to entertain the Chepauk crowd.
Moeen Ali’s (43 off 18) late firework and England’s innings came to an end when Kuldeep Yadav scalped his second wicket of the match. With 134 runs in the 1st innings and 164 in the 2nd, the visitors could collectively score just 298 runs in comparison with India’s 615 in the match.
The victory also saw Rohit Sharma’s return to form after a series of low scores. The third Test — a day-night match — begins on February 24 in Ahmedabad.
