India sense win after Ashwin’s century
India spinner scores 106 as hosts set Rootled England 482-run target in the second Test, visitors 53/3 at stumps on third day
CHENNAI: Ravichandran Ashwin first gave a lesson on how to bowl on a rank turner and then provided a batting master-class with a sparkling hundred on a deteriorating strip, putting India on the brink of a massive series-levelling victory against England on the third day of the second Test here on Monday.
Ashwin’s fifth Test hundred -a gutsy 106 off 148 balls along with Virat Kohli’s near flawless 62 off 149 balls got India to a more than decent 286 in 85.5 overs, leaving England with an improbable target of 482 runs on a dust bowl.
At stumps, England were already crumbling at 53 for 3 and it would take nothing short of a miracle for England to bat for two days and save the match.
Even their resolute captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood wouldn’t be optimistic on a track where exploding divots are making it extremely difficult to bat.
But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. Just like facing a quality seam bowler on a green top is an art, one needs plenty of skills and mental fortitude to counter spinners on a dust bowl.
“I will sleep well through the night, that is all that I am thinking,” Ashwin, the star of the day, said after stumps.
“I don’t know what the team is feeling like but I am sure they are thrilled.”
Skipper Kohli and Ashwin showed the likes of Michael Vaughan that they have that in abundance as India batted nearly 182 overs across two innings on a track that many deemed as under-prepared after England failed to score even 150.
For Ashwin, it was the third time in his Test career when he notched up a five-for and a hundred along with it. Only England legend Ian Botham stands ahead of him with five such efforts in his career.
India’s batting exhibition in the second innings was a statement for all the Doubting Thomases on how to bat on a third-day track.
It only helped that Moeen Ali (32-7-98-4) and Jack Leach (33-6-100-4) were not half as good as Ashwin and Axar Patel were on the second day.
Both the Moeen and the Leach bowler were bowling their deliveries at an identical pace unlike Ashwin who varied the speed. Also another marked difference between Ashwin’s deliveries was his pace through the air which was significantly more than Moeen’s.
If Rohit Sharma set it up with a classy Day 1 hundred, Ashwin and Kohli, in the next two days, didn’t take their feet off the pedal to put England in the tightest of corners.
Till the ball remained hard, England got three quick wickets leaving India in a spot at 65 for 4 but Kohli again seemed in a mood to make batting look easy.
He displayed defensive elegance, coming close to the pitch of the ball to take an off-stump guard in order to negate turn. He also used the sweep shot only for deliveries that were drifting down the leg-side.
There were seven boundaries, mostly drives and in Ashwin he found an able ally. They added 96 runs in 177 balls, a partnership that deflated England completely.
Ashwin relied on shots square of the wicket and left Kohli with the job of grafting, taking it upon himself to attack the England bowling.
Apart from the square cuts and the pull shots off spinners, he was ready to hit the flat-batted shots off pacers akin to tennis forehand shots.
There were 14 boundaries and a six in all during his best batting effort considering the previous four hundreds came against second-rate West Indies sides.
Ravindra Jadeja’ ascendancy as India’s all-conditions specialist spin bowling all-rounder led to Ashwin losing a bit of confidence and the cutting edge he possessed with the willow.
But everything changed after the semi-fit Chennai engineer pulled off a last day wonder in Sydney which has now helped him get his mojo back. In the past one year, he has tremendously upgraded his variations and the confidence in ‘Ashwin the bowler’ has brought to the fore ‘Ashwin the batsman’.
The way he marshalled the tail was commendable with two partnerships --- 27 with Ishant Sharma (7) and 49 with Mohammed Siraj (16) for the 10th wicket.
In both cases, he cleverly shielded the strike and finally reached 97 with a six.
A miscued shot got him his hundred and the ensuing celebrations, especially from Kohli punching his fists while giving a standing ovation, said it all.
Ashwin seemed finally back where he belonged and that’s right at the top.
Batting credit
“I can’t say it’s been happening in the last three days, I have been practising with Vikram Rathour. I would love to credit him with how my batting has come through over the last fourfive matches,” Ashwin said at the end of the third day’s play.
This was after his gutsy show with the bat in Australia, where he stood his ground despite hostile fast-bowling by the home team. He was glad that he shone so bright in front of his home crowd.
“I don’t know when the next Test is going to be here, but I am pleased. Don’t know if I will play another Test in Chennai, and if at all, when...” Ashwin’s number eleven companion Siraj celebrated the senior player’s fifth Test hundred more than the man himself, who had got to a century in the company of Ishant in the past. From the other end, Ashwin enjoyed watching Siraj strike a couple of sixes.
“In the past when, he’s (Ishant) been with me when I got hundreds at home and once Siraj came, I knew how to approach. “I was thrilled for his batting and told him to go through the line of the ball. It was amazing to see how excited he was when I got my hundred. “I don’t know what the team is feeling like but I am sure they are thrilled. I can’t thank the crowd enough, they have been very supportive,” Ashwin said. After the defeat in the seriesopener, the team management discussed ways to counter leftarm spinner Jack Leach, according to Ashwin, who was happy that the sweep shots came through well.
“Last time I was sweeping, I was 19 years old, I hit a bit of sweep shots well today. I am thankful the plan has paid off. Sort of had a very good day.”
A day before his magnificent effort with the willow (106 off 148 balls), Ashwin returned excellent figures of 5/43 for his 29th five-wicket haul in the format.
Brief scores, stumps Day 3: India 329 and 286 (Ashwin 106); England 134 and 53/3