India vs England 2020-21, 3rd Test (D/N): Axar, Ashwin among gainers on a record-breaking Day 2
India is firmly in the driver's seat against England for the Anthony de Mello Trophy in the four-Test series. After the series was locked 1-1 from Chennai, the host has gained the upper hand in the second leg in Ahmedabad, thus fancying its chances for the ICC World Test Championship final.
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FollowHost India came up with a splendid performance with the ball, rattling England onto the backfoot and win the third day-night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The game was over by Day 2 itself, as India chased down a paltry target of 49 to win by ten wickets. As records galore during the day, we take a look at it all.
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Jack Leach scripts a first
Leach claimed 4/54 during India's first innings. It was his personal best, being the first time that he claimed four during the opposition's first innings, thus bettering his previous record of 3/70 against Sri Lanka in 2018-19.
Ravichandran Ashwin claimes 400th victim
After dismissing Jofra Archer for a duck in the second innings, Ashwin claimed his 400th scalp in the format. He has now become the fourth bowler from India to enter the club after Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417). He is also the fastest Indian to the feat (77 Tests), besides being the second-fastest globally, after Muttiah Muralitharan (72). Furthermore, Ben Stokes became his most favourite victim in the format, having dismissed him for the 11th time.
Axar Patel is the first from India in D/N Test
Axar has claimed 11 wickets in the Test. Thus, he has become the first Indian to claim a 10-wicket haul in a D/N Test and has the best match figures (11/70), surpassing Pat Cummins (10/62). He is also the second Indian spinner after Ashwin and the fourth overall spinner after Bobby Peel and Bert Vogler to get a wicket off the first ball of a Test innings.
Indian spinners nail it in D/N Test
The Indian spinners managed to claim 27 wickets in this Test. As a result, it was the best haul by the spinners in a D/N Test, bettering Pakistan's 24 against Sri Lanka in 2017-18.
England scripts a lowest
England was bundled out for a mere 81 in the second innings. Consequently, it was England's lowest Test total against India to date, while its previous lowest was 101 at The Oval in 1971. It was also the second-lowest Test total against India, after South Africa's 79 in Nagpur, 2015. It was also the second time and the first since 1888 that England has been bowled out under 200 in five consecutive Test innings.
Joe Root scripts a special
Root claimed 5/8 during the Indian innings. As a result, it was the second cheapest five-wicket haul by a captain in the format after Arthur Gilligan's 6/7 against South Africa in 1924. He is also the third captain after Denis Atkinson and Wasim Akram to score a double hundred and claim a fifer in the same Test series.
India records a unique one
In another interesting observation, India took 79.2 over to dismiss all the English batsmen in both innings, which is the second quickest by the side. The record for the same is against Afghanistan, in 66.3 overs, in Bengaluru, 2019.
One of the shortest Tests
This win was only the second Test in India to have finished on Day 2 after Afghanistan in 2019. It was also the fastest completed Test in India in terms of the deliveries bowled (842), bettering the 968 during the Bangladesh D/N Test in 2019.
Tough outing for James Anderson and Stuart Broad
The English pace bowling pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad have featured in 121 Tests so far. Meanwhile, this was the first instance of both failing to claim a single wicket in a Test.
Match summary
Winning the toss and electing to ba, England was bundled out for 112, courtesy Axar's six-for, while India posted 145, thanks to Rohit Sharma's 66, while Root claimed a fifer. The visitor could only manage 81 in the second innings, thanks to another Axar fifer, while India won it comfortably by ten wickets.
Brief scores: England 112 & 81 (Stokes 25; Axar 5/32, Ashwin 4/48) lost to India 145 & 49/0 (Rohit 25*; Leach 0/15) by ten wickets.
