New Delhi: The Indian cricket team has won the 5-match Test series against England by taking an unassailable 3-1 lead with one match to go. India achieved a remarkable comeback after losing the first Test in Hyderabad by 227 runs. They won the next three Tests in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Ranchi by 317 runs, an innings 25 runs, and 5 wickets respectively. In the fourth Test in Ranchi, India chased down a target of 191 runs on the fifth day, thanks to a match-winning partnership between Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill.
Scorecard
| Innings | Team | Score | Top scorer | Top wicket-taker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | England | 353 | Joe Root (102) | R Ashwin (3/94) |
| 1st | India | 307 | Dhruv Jurel (90) | Ollie Robinson (4/65) |
| 2nd | England | 145 | Ollie Robinson (32) | R Ashwin (5/43) |
| 2nd | India | 191/5 | Rohit Sharma (51) | Jack Leach (2/54) |
Details
First innings
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first on a flat pitch. The openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley gave a solid start of 67 runs before Sibley was caught behind off Mohammed Siraj for 34. Burns was soon dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja for 33. Zak Crawley and Joe Root then added 103 runs for the third wicket, with Root reaching his 23rd Test century. However, India fought back with three quick wickets, as R Ashwin removed Crawley for 53, Root for 102 and Jonny Bairstow for a duck. Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes steadied the innings with a 56-run stand before Stokes was run out for 28. Pope was then caught by Rohit Sharma off Kuldeep Yadav for 34. Ollie Robinson played a useful knock of 50, while the tailenders added some valuable runs. England were eventually bowled out for 353, with Ashwin taking 3 wickets, Kuldeep and Siraj taking 2 each, and Jadeja and Ishant Sharma taking 1 each.
India had a shaky start to their first innings, as they lost Shubman Gill for 4, Cheteshwar Pujara for 15 and Virat Kohli for 27. Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane then shared a 74-run partnership for the fourth wicket, before Rahane was caught by Pope off Robinson for 46. Rohit was dismissed soon after for 49, as he edged Robinson to Bairstow. India were in trouble at 177/7, when Dhruv Jurel joined Yasasvi Jaiswal at the crease. The two youngsters showed great resilience and skill, as they added 130 runs for the eighth wicket. Jaiswal scored 73, while Jurel played a brilliant knock of 90, hitting 6 fours and 4 sixes. India were eventually dismissed for 307, giving England a lead of 46 runs. Robinson was the pick of the bowlers for England, taking 4 wickets, while Stokes and Jack Leach took 2 each, and James Anderson and Mark Wood took 1 each.
Second innings
England’s second innings was a disaster, as they collapsed to 145 all out. Ashwin and Kuldeep ran through the batting line-up, taking 9 wickets between them. Only Robinson showed some resistance, scoring 32. Ashwin finished with 5/43, while Kuldeep took 4/36. Jadeja also chipped in with 1/24. England set India a target of 191 runs to win the match and the series.
India’s chase was not smooth, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma gave a good start of 84 runs, before Jaiswal was caught by Root off Leach for 38. Rohit completed his half-century but was soon trapped lbw by Wood for 51. Rajat Patidar, Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan failed to make any impact, as they were dismissed for 0, 11 and 12 respectively. India were reduced to 139/5, still needing 52 runs to win. Dhruv Jurel and Shubman Gill then showed their composure and class, as they stitched an unbeaten partnership of 52 runs to take India home. Jurel remained not out on 39, while Gill scored 28. Leach was the most successful bowler for England, taking 2/54, while Wood, Robinson and Stokes took 1 each.
