Ahmedabad: Left-arm spinner Axar Patel created an illusion of turn with 11 straighter deliveries that put India on the brink of the World Test Championship final with a 10-wicket demolition of England inside two days in the day-night third Test here on Thursday.
In only his second Test, Patel (15-0-32-5), with a match-haul of 11/70, relentlessly hit the good length area and hoodwinked England batsmen, who played for turn only to find that there was none on offer from him.
The result was their lowest total against India -- 81 all out in 30.4 overs leaving the hosts with a target of 49 which they achieved with minimum fuss taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series. The visitors were also knocked out of contention from the WTC final.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (15-3-48-4) proved to be an ideal foil for Patel, becoming the fourth Indian bowler and second fastest in the world to complete a commendable milestone of 400 Test wickets with the dismissal of Jofra Archer.
Incidentally, after Afghanistan's debut Test in 2018 in Bengaluru, this was the second time that India won a Test match, well inside two days.
This was after England skipper Joe Root's fabulous career-best spell of 6.2-3-8-5 resulted in India's dramatic collapse from 114 for 3 to 145 all out.
"The result went our way but I don't think the quality of batting was good from either of the two teams. It was a very good batting wicket. Below-par batting by both teams but our bowlers were more effective," said Kohli in the post-match presentation.
"(Jasprit) Bumrah said I am getting work load management while playing," he quipped when asked about the finish inside two days.
India lost as many as seven wickets for only 31 runs after looking solid at 114 for 3 at one stage in the game but England lost all 10 in an entire session in which no pacer was seen in action.
Ironically, it was the non-turning deliveries from Patel that had the England's rank and file pressing the panic button as they pre-empted away turn every time.
Whether it was Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow or skipper Root, everyone lost the mind-game as Ashwin also joined the fun with records tumbling one after another.
"We were 70 for 2. But we didn't really capitalise on it. 250 on that wicket would have made it different. We will come back using this hurt and come back as a better team," a disappointed but resolute Root said.
When Patel sent back Ben Foakes, he became the first spinner to get 11 wickets in a pink ball Test match.
Following the two-day finish, ICC will be watching the Motera track with a 'Hawk Eye' even though the debate can continue for ages whether it was the turn that did the batsmen in or the lack of it.
The turn on offer was standard for any sub-continental track and no deliveries misbehaved. However, all eyes will now be on ICC match referee Javagal Srinath from India and his assessment of the 22-yard strip.
A case in point would be the wickets taken by the two left-arm spinners -- Patel and Jack Leach.