India crush Eng by 246 runs, go 1-0 up in 5-match series
22 Nov 2016 11:20 PM GMT
India on Monday scripted a resounding 246-run win over England in the second cricket Test to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series riding on a superlative effort from the spin troika, here.
Chasing an improbable 405, England were bowled out for paltry 158 shortly after the lunch break to give the hosts their second biggest victory in terms of runs against the visitors.
Having defended doggedly on the fourth evening, the visitors caved in without much resistance losing eight wickets for an addition of 71 runs with Ravichandran Ashwin (3/52) and debutant Jayant Yadav (3/30) being the wreckers-in-chief at the Dr YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium which hosted its first ever Test match.
Having showed some tenacity on Sunday to bat out 59.2 overs with 87/2, England were blown away this morning and lost five wickets in 33.4 overs in the first session before India bowled them out for 158.
It took India 24 balls and 22 minutes passed lunch to cruise victory and take a 1-0 lead with more than a session to spare.
While skipper Virat Kohli's aggregate of 248 runs (167 and 81) laid the cornerstone of victory, the contribution of India's premier all-rounder Ashwin (52 runs and match figures of 8/119) was equally significant.
Ashwin now has 231 wickets from 41 Tests apart from 1670 runs that includes 4 tons and 7 half-centuries. Ashwin also became leading wicket-taker of 2016 with 55 wickets surpassing Sri Lankan Rangana Herath (54 scalps). Not to forget young Jayant, who bowled a ripper to get Ben Stokes and played a couple of gritty knocks down the order.
He first trapped Stuart Broad (5) LBW, and then dismissed James Anderson for a golden duck in similar manner as England went for reviews but in vain.
Mohammed Shami (2/30) was menacing when the ball reversed and Ravindra Jadeja did his bit in the second innings providing important breakthroughs.
When the final wicket fell, the celebrations were muted as Kohli just picked up a souvenir stump and shook hands with rival players. It was a study contrast as the top three batsmen of Alastair Cook (54), Haseeb Hameed (25) and Joe Root (25) consumed 439 balls – 73.1 overs – but the rest have fallen in a heap what can be termed as a meek surrender.
Earlier, Root had some lucky escape with Virat Kohli dropping the English No 3 on nine at leg slip and a decision was also overturned.
Finally, the first opening came after 15 minutes into the day with Ashwin removing a tense-looking Duckett, who perished trying to play the sweep. There was extra bounce but Duckett's shot selection did him in as the ball hit his gloves and hit the pad before looping into Wriddhiman Saha's gloves.Â
In a tense and tight situation, Root was adjudged caught behind by Rod Tucker but England successfully used the DRS as the decision was overturned after review. Root, who was floored by Virat Kohli at leg slip on 9, again survived on with an addition of two runs as the snicko registered a faint mark and the third umpire was not convinced to dismiss Tucker's call.
Persisting with a tidy line and aiming the roughs, left-arm spinner Jadeja got his first wicket this morning Ali as his forward defensive prod saw him get an inside edge which was taken by Kohli at backward short leg. The ball seemed to have bounced more than normal after hitting the edge of a widening crack.
Maintaining a fine over rate, Indian spinners ran through the opening hour bowling 20.4 overs and were quick to get the second new ball in 80 overs and get their exhausted reviews quota renewed.
Having made an impressive debut, Jayant Yadav struck with the new ball as he bowled a beauty to clean up Ben Stokes (6). The delivery had a nice drift as it pitched on the middle stump with Stokes going for a backfoot defence. It spun enough to clip the off-bail in what was a tweaker's delight.Â
Take out Virat's runs, we had put India under pressure: Cook
England skipper Alastair Cook on Monday said Virat Kohli's knocks proved to be the difference between the two sides after the visiting team's crushing 246-run defeat against India in the second Test here. "If you took Virat's runs out of the game – I know you can't do that – but we have put their batters under a lot of pressure," Cook said. The scorecard may have indicated a huge English defeat but Cook said there were many positive to take from the match.Â
"What's giving me belief is over 10 days of cricket we have competed very well in India in their conditions. Yes we have lost by a big margin but the margin of runs is different. We could have played more aggressively and lost by 150 runs or so." Cook added. He also that said losing the toss was "massive" and quipped a couple of 'good tosses' will turn England's fortune.Â
Eng showed less intent which assured us of victory: Kohli
Indian Test cricket skipper Virat Kohli on Monday said that England team's lack of intent gave him enough "assurance" that they would crumble anytime during their herculean chase of 405.
Opener Alastair Cook and teenager Haseeb Hameed blocked almost everything adding 75 runs in 50.2 overs but once they were dismissed, it became a walk in the park for the home team as the clinched the Test with a 246-run win.
"Not giving away at more than 1.5 per over, we thought they would come out with more intent to be honest. And to see the approach that they had obviously gave us assurance that once we get a couple of wickets, it will crumble pretty quickly because there wasn't much intent from the batsmen," Kohli made no bones about what he felt about visitor's approach.
"It is a pretty basic thing to do, to be honest, and if you don't have intent in the fourth innings, it is tough to play out four and a half sessions."
While most of the other batsmen were busy defending, Kohli aggregated 248 runs from two innings with scores of 167 and 81.
Asked about his batting, Kohli said:"It is only if you have intent that you will be able to play the ball accordingly because you are looking to play it with the bat. If you don't have intent, and you are looking to control the ball, and if it does something, then you are in no position to control it, the edges fly off."
"If you are looking for runs, you defend well because your head is on the ball as well. So that was the idea, to get runs as the pitch gets tougher to bat on, show intent and keep getting runs in between, extend the lead so the opposition feels the heat of those 30-40 runs." he added.
Kohli's formula of getting runs consistently is just to go out there and live in the situation rather than thinking of runs as his ultimate goal.
"See what's happening, understand the bowlers, not necessarily have your plans of attacking bowlers but to understand how the situation is playing out. Stay calm on the wicket, try to spend as much time on the wicket. Instinctive players obviously get runs when they spend time on the wicket," Kohli said.Â
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