India script a resounding 246-run win over England to take 1-0 lead
Virat Kohli celebrates with Ravindra Jadeja after India’s 246-run victory in the second Test match against England in Visakhapatnam on Monday. India now lead the fivematch series 1-0.
Vizag, Nov. 21: India spinners R. Ashwin and Jayant Yadav claimed three wickets apiece in the second innings to lead the hosts to a comfortable 246-run win in the second Test against England on Monday and a 1-0 lead in the fivematch series.
England, chasing an improbable victory target of 405, were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day here.
Batting fourth after losing the toss was always set to be a difficult task for England with the wicket offering vicious turn and uneven bounce during the venue’s test debut.
England needed to match India’s first innings total of 455 but were on the back foot after losing five wickets for 80 on the second day. Conceding the 200-run lead proved crucial.
“From disappointingly losing those five wickets on day two — in India you need to score first innings runs — you saw how hard it is to score in India’s second innings,” England captain Alastair Cook said, pointing to his counterpart Virat Kohli’s 167 and 81 with the bat as another decisive factor.
“It’s all about first innings runs and trying to get parity ... But from that moment we showed lots of character and fight. We made India work very hard.”
The touring side lost all 10 of their secondinnings wickets for 83 runs after openers Cook and Haseeb Hameed combined in a stand of 75 runs on Sunday.
Ben Duckett’s poor series continued when he fell without scoring to Ashwin, caught behind miscuing a sweep shot against the world’s topranked bowler after England resumed on 872.
Moeen Ali did not last long either, out to leftarm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for two after failing to show any of his usual fluidity in a 31-ball knock.
Joe Root, playing his 50th Test match, was key to England’s slim hopes after Cook fell on the last delivery of the fourth day.
England’s best batsman had an early reprieve on nine when Kohli failed to hold a catch at leg slip off Ashwin.