Team India rode to another resounding performance and tamed England by an innings and 25 runs on Day 3 of the fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. It was spinner Axar Patel's who claimed yet another five-for to rattle the Englishmen, while the win has allowed India to set a date with New Zealand in the ICC World Test Championship 2019-21 final at Lord's in June.
undefined
Earlier, England had won the toss and batted first, as it was bundled out for 205, with Axar Patel claiming a four-for. As for India, it was wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, whose knock of 101 on Day 2 put India in firm control of the game.
undefined
Resuming at the overnight score of 2947, Sundar and fellow all-rounder Patel went well and contributed to a 106-run stand for the eighth wicket. Nonetheless, at 365, it was Patel who was run out for 43.
undefined
Out came Ishant Sharma and was trapped plumb leg-before off the very first ball against pacer Ben Stokes. As Mohammed Siraj joined Sundar as the final man, he could only face three deliveries off Stokes before being cleaned up, as Sundar was left stranded at the other end on 96, while India's lead was 160.
undefined
As for the English bowlers, five of them were utilised, with Stokes being the most effective of all. Meanwhile, seamer James Anderson was the most economical.
undefined
In the meantime, England was off to a stable start in the second innings. While openers Dominic Sibley and Zak Crawley stay unbeaten, India's leads by 154 at lunch.
undefined
The post-lunch session saw England struggling right after at 60. After four runs, Crawley fell for five to Ashwin after edging it to Rahane at slips, followed by wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow off the very next delivery Rohit Sharma caught him at short fine-leg.
undefined
The tumbling continued, as ten runs later, fellow opener Dominic Sibley departed for mere three to Patel after being uniquely caught by Pant, as the ball bounced in the air after hitting Shubman Gill on the knee at short leg. Again, ten runs later, Stokes fell for just a couple to the same man after edging it to Virat Kohli in the slips.
undefined
Although the pair of Joe Root and Ollie Pope looked to stabilise the innings, just could manage just 35 runs before the latter departed for only 15 to Patel after being stumped by Pant. At the same score, Root was trapped leg-before by Ashwin for 30, while it was all-rounder Daniel Lawrence and wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes who stayed unbeaten until the tea break.
undefined
The pot-tea session saw Lawrence and Foakes continue from 916. However, just 17 runs later, the latter fell for a mere 13 to Patel after being caught by Ajinkya Rahane is the slips.
undefined
A couple of runs later, at 111, Dominic Bess departed for just two off Patel after an attempted sweep forced him to edge it behind to Pant. It was during this time when Lawrence brought up his third Test half-century.
undefined
While Lawrence and Jack Leach looked to delay the inevitable, it was at 134 when Leach fell to Ashwin after Rahane caught him at the slips once again. The same over, Ashwin knocked over Lawrence for 50, as England was shot out for 135, thus handing India an innings win and the ticket to Lord's.
undefined
The Indians utilised just four bowlers, with Patel and Ashwin being the most effective of all. Meanwhile, the former was also the most economical for the side.Brief scores: England 205 & 135 (Lawrence 50; Patel 548, Ashwin 547) lost to India 365 (Pant 101, Sundar 96*; Stokes 489, Anderson 344) by an innings and 25 runs.
undefined