India trounce England in test
India beat England by 246 runs on Monday to win the second test and take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five match series.
India sealed a comprehensive victory after lunch on the fifth and final day, dismissing England for 158 in 97.3 overs.
Needing to bat through the final day to salvage a draw after resuming on 87-2, chasing an improbable target of 405 to win, England lost their last eight wickets for just 66 runs, giving up five wickets in the morning session then three more after lunch to concede a heavy defeat.
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow followed up his first innings half-century to finish unbeaten on 34 but no-one outside England’s top three batsman made double figures.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav finished with three wickets each while Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja got two apiece for India.
England made an ominous start to the day when Ben Duckett went early for a duck, caught behind by Wriddhiman Saha off Ashwin with just five added to the overnight total.
Moeen Ali made just two before he was caught at backward short leg off Jadeja as India began to tighten the screws.
Ben Stokes was bowled for six by off-spinner Yadav after the drinks break then Shami used the second new ball to get rid of Joe Root (25) and Adil Rashid (4) and leave India in total command.
The home team wrapped up the final three wickets quickly after the lunch interval with Ashwin bowling Zafar Ansari for a duck then Yadav trapping Stuart Broad (5) and James Anderson (0) leg before wicket in successive deliveries. Indian captain Virat Kohli was named man of the match after scoring 167 and 81.
The first test in Rajkot was drawn. The third test starts in Mohali on November 26.
● Meanwhile South Africa have accused an Australian TV station of harassing captain Faf du Plessis after a reporter was involved in a physical confrontation with a team security guard at Adelaide Airport on Monday.
Du Plessis has been charged with ball-tampering by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during the second test in Hobart, which South Africa won to clinch the series with a match to spare.
A statement from team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee on Monday said the Australian media, and Channel 9 in particular, had been advised that Du Plessis could not comment on the matter until a hearing was held.
Moosajee said the South Africans were therefore disappointed that Channel 9 had ‘‘blatantly ignored’’ their ‘‘media protocol’’ both at the team hotel in Melbourne over the weekend and when the squad arrived at Adelaide airport on Monday.
TV pictures showed a Channel 9 reporter trying to push his way past South Africa officials and players to ask Du Plessis for comment, as one of his colleagues had in Melbourne over the weekend. ‘‘This is the third incident of a reporter aggressively harassing our players with blatant disrespect.’’