India skittle Poms, lead series- Ashwin finishes with 8 wickets as England collapse on last day
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VISAKHAPATNAM, India, Nov 21, (AFP): Ravichandran Ashwin finished with a match haul of eight wickets as England collapsed on the last day of the second Test to hand India a thumping 246-run win and a series lead on Monday.
Chasing an unlikely 405 for victory, England were bowled out 20 minutes after lunch for 158 as India grabbed a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, after the first Test was drawn.
Skipper Virat Kohli led from the front to bring up the team’s second biggest win against England by runs, after they won by 279 runs at Leeds 30 years ago.
Kohli’s sparkling 167 and his 226-run third-wicket stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (119) in the first innings was instrumental in the hosts posting 455 after batting first.
The star batsman also hit a gritty 81 in the second innings to underline India’s dominance over the visitors.
“We’ve been playing some really good cricket, we don’t want to be complacent but don’t want to be desperate, either. We respect England,” said Kohli, who was named man of the match.
Ashwin, the leading Test wicket-taker this year, once again turned on the heat against the English batsmen who resumed their chase at 87 for two but lost their last eight wickets for just 71 runs.
The off-spinner, who picked up his 22nd five-wicket haul in the first innings, captured the first scalp of the day by having Ben Duckett caught behind for nought, ending the batsman’s brief, 16-ball stay at the crease.
Ashwin and debutant Jayant Yadav finished with three wickets each in England’s second innings, while fast bowler Mohammed Shami chipped in with two.
“The biggest positives are how the fast bowlers bowled and Jayant’s debut. It was lovely to have five bowlers who can pick up wickets,” said Kohli.
The morning session saw England lose Moeen Ali who looped up a simple catch to fine leg off leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja for just two runs.
Off-spinner Yadav got the important wicket of Ben Stokes, top-scorer with 70 in England’s first innings, for six.
Joe Root, who was dropped on nine by Kohli at leg slip off Ashwin, provided some resistance until fast bowler Mohammed Shami had him lbw for 25.
Root reviewed the decision but TV replays suggested the ball would have hit the leg stump, upholding the on-field call.
South Africa accused Australian media of “harassment” after a team security official scuffled with a reporter as the tourists arrived at Adelaide airport on Monday.
Channel Nine TV reporter Will Crouch was shoved away and pushed into a glass door as he tried to approach Proteas captain Faf du Plessis in the airport arrival hall.
Du Plessis is due to face an International Cricket Council disciplinary hearing on ball-tampering charges arising from the second Test, which South Africa won to seal the series.
Team manager Mohammed Moosajee said Australian media and Channel Nine, in particular, have been told several times that Cricket South Africa and du Plessis were not in a position to comment on the ball-tampering case.
“We have advised of our media protocol which has been blatantly ignored, both at the team’s hotel on Friday and Saturday and again at the airport in Adelaide today,” Moosajee said in a statement.
“The ‘reporter’ at the airport disrespected us and continued to harass Faf for comment. He was advised to move three times, and did not adhere to this request,” he said.
Scoreboard
VISAKHAPATNAM, India, Nov 21, (AFP): Scoreboard at the end of the second Test between India and England at Visakhapatnam on Monday:
INDIA 1st innings: 455 (V. Kohli 167, C. Pujara 119; J. Anderson 3-62, M. Ali 3-98)
ENGLAND 1st innings: 255 (B. Stokes 70, J. Bairstow 53, J. Root 53; R. Ashwin 5-67)
INDIA 2nd innings: 204 (V. Kohli 81; S. Broad 4-33, A. Rashid 4-82)
ENGLAND 2nd innings (overnight 87-2):
- Cook lbw b Jadeja…………………….. 54
- Hameed lbw b Ashwin………………. 25
- Root lbw b Shami……………………… 25
- Duckett c Saha b Ashwin……………… 0
- Ali c Kohli b Jadeja…………………….. 2
- Stokes b J. Yadav………………………. 6
- Bairstow not out……………………….. 34
- Rashid c Saha b Shami………………… 4
- Ansari b Ashwin…………………………. 0
- Broad lbw b J. Yadav…………………… 5
- Anderson lbw b J. Yadav………………. 0
Extras (lb 3) 3
Total (all out; 97.3 overs) 158
Fall of wicket: 1-75 (Hameed), 2-87 (Cook), 3-92 (Duckett), 4-101 (Ali), 5-115 (Stokes), 6-115 (Root), 7-129 (Rashid), 8-143 (Ansari), 9-158 (Broad), 10-158 (Anderson)
Bowling: Shami 14-3-30-2, U. Yadav 8-3-8-0, Ashwin 30-11-52-3, Jadeja 34-14-35-2, J. Yadav 11.3-4-30-3
Toss: India
Result: India won by 246 runs
Series: India lead the five-match series 1-0
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Rod Tucker (AUS)
TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney (NZL)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
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