India’s spin department shares eight wickets as England are bundled out for 205; all-rounder Ben Stokes insists visitors missed golden opportunity to post big total
Indian spinner R Ashwin (right) celebrates after dismissing England’s Ben Foakes at Ahmedabad yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Yes, it turned, but not viciously. Yes, there was true bounce and decent carry, something which was missing in the previous Test.
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Anticipation of how the pitch for the fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium would play finally ended on Day One on Thursday.
To top it, England also won the toss and chose to exploit batting-friendly conditions. However, their efforts helped the visitors put up only 205 runs on the board in the first innings. India were 24-1, losing Shubman Gill leg before on the third ball of the opening over from James Anderson.
Once again, the Indian spinners dominated the show with eight wickets—Axar Patel (4-68), R Ashwin (3-47) and Washington Sundar (1-14). Pacer Mohammed Siraj claimed the other two wickets, rather important ones of Joe Root (5) and Jonny Bairstow (28).
England saw contributions from Ben Stokes (55), Daniel Lawrence (46), Ollie Pope (29) and Bairstow, but no partnership could go beyond 50 runs; the highest being a 48-run stand between Stokes and Bairstow for the fourth wicket.
Most of the English batsmen looked far better equipped than the previous day-night Test that got over in two days. The batters often stepped out to negate spin, applied reverse-sweep effectively against Axar and Ashwin. But their body language or the mental make-up just wasn’t there to suggest that England are keen to stage a remarkable comeback to draw the Test series 2-2. Opener Dom Sibley (2), Stokes and Dom Bess (3) were all guilty of getting out on straighter deliveries.
Stokes was frustrated with his dismissal after a straight delivery from Sundar hit his pads. “It is very frustrating that I spent two and a half hours trying to avoid getting out to a straight ball then I ended up getting out to a straight ball,” he said.
Last match’s half centurion Zak Crawley (9) and Lawrence were dismissed trying to be brave as suggested by English skipper Root on the eve of the match.
However, pacer Siraj too troubled English batters with pace and different lengths. He beautifully set up Root and Bairstow. After consistently making the ball move away from them, Siraj managed to get one to swing in to be trapped LBW.
Regarding Root’s dismissal, Siraj said: “I thought I would set him up by continuously bowling away deliveries. After that, in my next over, the first ball I thought I will bowl in and up. And the way I had thought, it happened.”
Siraj, playing his second Test after the momentous tour to Australia, was aware of Bairstow’s vulnerability against the in-swinging deliveries after watching his videos. So, the Hyderabadi consistently bowled in one area to trouble him.
Stokes conceded they missed a golden opportunity to put up a 300-plus total. “We are more than capable of scoring 300 runs on a wicket like that out here. Frustrating, but we can’t dwell on it too much.
“I know, overall, it’s a much better wicket than the last one we played on so we’re just disappointed not to still be batting,” he concluded.
Brief scores
England 205 all out (B Stokes 55, D Lawrence 46; A Patel 4-68, R Ashwin 3-47, M Siraj 2-45) v India 24-1 (C Pujara 15*, J Anderson 0-1)
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