Photo : Collected
India took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series against England by winning the fourth Test by five wickets on Monday (26 February). And with this win, they’ve secured the five-match series.
It was the first Test series defeat for England after Ben Stokes took over the captaincy and Brendon McCullum became their coach.
Chasing 192 to win, India lost five wickets for 36 runs to slip to 120 for five, but Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel put on a sixth-wicket partnership of 72 to get the hosts over the line.
India’s victory was set up on Sunday’s third day when England collapsed to 145 all out, as the tourists surrendered the initiative after having taken a 46-run lead from the first innings.
England had won the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs. India responded by winning the second Test in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs, and then the third Test in Rajkot by 434 runs. The fifth Test will be played in Dharamshala from March 7.
“It has been a hard-fought series without a doubt and to come on the right side of it after four Tests feels so good,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma.
India resumed Monday on 40 without loss. Sharma completed his half-century and seemingly had set his team on course for victory, before England snared three wickets to keep their hopes alive of achieving a dramatic turnaround.
Sharma shared an 84-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, before the latter was spectacularly caught by 41-year-old James Anderson off Joe Root for 37 to give the tourists a much-needed breakthrough.
Jaiswal’s wicket sparked a mini-collapse as India went from 84 for none to 100 for three inside nine overs as England sniffed a chance of victory.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley had Sharma caught behind in the 26th over for 55. It was initially judged as a stumping but, on review, the television umpire also detected an edge from the batter as keeper Ben Foakes held on to a sharp catch.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir then had Rajat Patidar caught at short leg for a six-ball duck as India lost its second wicket in eight deliveries.
India went to lunch at 118 for 3, but the slide continued after the break.
Ravindra Jadeja (4) was caught first ball on the resumption of play. He hit a low full toss off Bashir straight to mid-on. Next ball, Sarfaraz Khan was caught at short leg.
Jurel (39 not out) denied Bashir the hat-trick and then bedded down for a match-winning partnership with Gill.
The 24-year-old Gill was watchful and intent on not taking any risks. He only scored his first boundary after 119 deliveries.
The two batters grew in confidence as they spent time at the wicket, with England’s spinners beginning to toil.
Gill (52 not out) hit two sixes to reach his sixth Test half-century and brought a swift end to an enthralling match
Jurel, who also scored a crucial 90 in the first innings, was named player of the match in only his second Test. “I play according to the demands of the situation,” he said.
“In the first innings we needed to get runs as well and it was vital because we had to bat last. In both innings I was involved in important partnerships, so credit to all those who stayed with me and helped add vital runs.
Bashir, playing in only his second Test, finished with 3-79 and collected a match haul of eight wickets to lead the England attack.
India climbed to second in the world Test championship table with a win percentage of 64.58 in eight matches. England slipped to eighth with a win percentage of 19.44 in eight games.
“It was a great Test match,” said England skipper Ben Stokes. “The scoreboard says India won by five wickets but it doesn’t credit the way things unfolded, the ebbs and flows on every single day. I can only be proud of my team. We have some inexperienced spinners but they have kept bowling. I am proud of their efforts.”
Messenger/Sumon
