India crushes England in 4th Test; enters WTC final
Kohli and Co thrash England, to meet New Zealand in WTC final
England’s ineptness at playing spin ensured that India booked its ticket to the World Test Championship (WTC) final a bit early, sealing the fourth and final Test win by innings and 25 runs on just the third day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.
The result ensured India won the series 3-1, coming back remarkably after losing the first Test.
After Rishabh Pant had tilted the scales in favour of the host with an unforgettable century on Friday Washington Sundar (96 not out) and Axar Patel (43) rubbed it in further, staying at the crease for one-and-ahalf hour that blew away whatever hopes England had of making a comeback on Friday evening. The two batted for 91 minutes on Saturday morning and frustrated England for 20.4 overs to take the game further away as India finished on 365, which was 160 runs ahead of the visiting side.
The lead was too much for England, which had to face 67 overs on the third day. And it succumbed under pressure even though the surface didn’t play as many tricks as the ones during the previous two Test matches.
Between lunch and tea, India picked up six wickets – three each by R Ashwin and Axar Patel as England, starting the post-lunch session at six without loss, went to tea at 91 for six. To the Indian bowlers’ credit, they maintained a tight line, not giving any room as England tried its best to get away but just couldn’t find any shot or area to score runs consistently.
Patel took a couple more wickets soon after tea to complete his fourth five-wicket haul in three Test matches. This was his third five-wicket haul in the two Tests at his home venue in Motera. It was another two and half days finish but even the most partisan England experts like their former skipper Michael Vaughan have admitted that the 22-yard strip had almost nothing to do with their side’s abject surrender.
AHMEDABAD: Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin once again made a mockery of an eternally confused English batting line-up as India cantered into the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final with a resounding innings and 25-run victory on the third afternoon of the fourth and final Test here on Saturday.
All India needed was a draw to book a Lord’s date in June with New Zealand, but Axar (5 for 48), in the company of Ashwin (5 for 47), literally blew England away in a session and half for a paltry 135 in 54.5 overs to complete a 3-1 rout. The win ensured that the Anthony De Mello Trophy will stay at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai.
It was another two-and-a-half days finish, but even the most partisan England experts like its former skipper Michael Vaughan have admitted that the 22-yard strip had almost nothing to do with their side’s abject surrender.
“The comeback in Chennai pleased me the most. The first game was an aberration and England outplayed us,” said India skipper Virat Kohli at the post-match presentation.
“Every team in international cricket is a quality side and we need to work hard to beat them, even at home. Keeping that intensity going is most important and is the hallmark of our team.”
There wasn’t much turn but enough to ensure that the visitor wilted under pressure as Axar’s series tally stood at highest for a newcomer (27) while man of the series Ashwin was peerless as ever with 32 scalps in his kitty. A lot of credit for this victory should go to the indomitable Rishabh Pant, who played the enforcer on the second day with a magnificent hundred, and Washington Sundar, who notched up a chiselled 96.
England’s top-three of Zak Crawley (5 off 16 balls), Dom Sibley (3 off 21 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (0 off 1 ball) seemed like ‘walking wickets’ at the start of the post-lunch session.
Crawley, who in this Test match has made an ordinary strip look extraordinarily difficult with his approach, was snuffed out by Ashwin with two deliveries. Bairstow didn’t trouble the scorers as he closed his bat face to give Rohit Sharma an easy catch at leg slip.
Sibley must have been affected by the two dismissals. His wicket was a freak one as he played a full-blooded sweep shot off Axar which ricocheted off forward short-leg fielder Shubman Gill’s knee and lobbed up for Pant to complete the formalities.
One had expected two of England’s best players in Joe Root (30 off 72 balls) and Ben Stokes (2 off 9 balls) to put up a fight, but the all-rounder failed to gauge the extra bounce as he went for a sweep shot off Axar. Kohli accepted the dolly at leg slip as England’s resistance was blown away at 30 for four. The remaining wickets in the post tea session were a mere formality which the spinners completed in due course.
Brief scores: England 205 all-out & 135 all-out in 54.5 overs (D Lawrence 50, R Ashwin 5/47, A Patel 5/48) lost to India 365 all-out in 114.4 overs (R Pant 101, W Sundar 96*, R Sharma 49, A Patel 43, B Stokes 4/89, J Anderson 3/44)