AHMEDABAD: Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel took five wickets each as India crushed England to secure their spot in the final of World Test Championship by winning the series 3-1.
India bounced back from an opening defeat to win three in a row and book their meeting with New Zealand in the World Test Championship at Lord’s in June.
Ashwin bowled Dan Lawrence for 50 as England was bowled out for 135 to complete emphatic innings and 25 run victory in Ahmedabad. Ashwin led the series bowling chart with 32 wickets followed by Patel, who played one game fewer, on 27.
This win was set up by wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who made 101 on day two, and Washington Sundar, who hit an unbeaten 96 as India made a commanding 365.
Pant scored his third Test ton in a 113-run stand with Sundar to lift India from a precarious 146-6 in response to England’s first innings total of 205.
England lost early and regular wickets to go down tamely in 54.5 overs. Ashwin struck twice on successive balls to send back Zak Crawley for five and Jonny Bairstow.
Ashwin took the prized scalp of skipper Joe Root for 30 to virtually end England’s hopes. The visitors have scored more than 200 just once in their last six innings.
The two teams now head into five Twenty20 internationals starting March 12 at the same Ahmedabad venue — the world’s biggest cricket stadium.
