IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: India defeats England by 106 runs in Vizag to tie the series at 1-1, eschewing the Bazball hype.
IND vs ENG: Following Hyderabad's defeat, India recovered to defeat England by 106 runs in the second Test, sparking drum beats and festivities in Visakhapatnam.
Ankush Pandey
INTRO
In the Vizag Test, India defeated England by 106 runs to draw the series even at one.
Against England, Jasprit Bumrah shone with a match total of nine wickets.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal both scored hundreds for India.
Following a humiliating defeat in Hyderabad, India found themselves in new surroundings at home, rattled by England's Bazball. The Ben Stokes-led team of England had a chance to win two out of three and take a step closer to breaking India's illustrious record of going home undefeated in a Test series since 2012. But the youthful Indian team responded magnificently to silence the Bazball cacophony and demonstrate that chasing 399 in the fourth innings required more than just a daring attitude. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin, and Axar Patel had other ideas.
IND vs ENG, Vizag Test: HIGHLIGHTS
In the first innings, Bumrah displayed a fast-bowling masterclass, Gill ended India's seven-year wait for a first Test century at No. 3, and Ashwin removed England's top-order in the second innings as the hosts prevailed by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam. Meanwhile, 22-year-old Jaiswal demonstrated his tenacity and maturity with his maiden Test double hundred. After a shocking defeat in Hyderabad a week prior, India went into the second Test without several important players, but they produced the kind of effort needed to force England's Bazballers back.
BUMRAH-ASHWIN HEROICS ON DAY 4
A Test match is not defined by its sessions, but India made substantial headway in the opening session by taking five English wickets, hinting at the match's course. The England captain's vigil on the pitch was brought to an end by Shreyas Iyer's fielding masterclass, as Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes attempted to absorb the strain in the post-lunch session. The bails came loose and Stokes failed to hold his footing, falling inches short of his crease.
In the second session, Foakes and youthful Tom Hartley combined to put the Indian spinners on the ropes with a strong 55-run partnership for the ninth wicket. India's breakthrough came through the cunning of clutch player Jasprit Bumrah, who outwitted Foakes with a slower ball. Mukesh Kumar, the pacer, had a terrible Test before he removed Shoaib Bashir with a beautiful delivery, his first wicket of the series. A second opportunity to achieve the elusive 500 was presented to Ashwin, who had claimed his 499th wicket the previous session, but Bumrah once again removed Tom Hartley, bowling England out for 292 to win.
Day four's morning session saw India take five significant wickets, which diminished England's chances of winning the second Test and brought the series closer to a tie. As they attempted to chase down a difficult 399, England got off to a good start at 95 for 1, but their middle order broke down and they were reduced to 194 for 6 before lunch.
Axar Patel gave India's session an early advantage when he dismissed Rehan Ahmed, the English nightwatchman after the latter scored 23. Then skipper Rohit Sharma went to veteran Ravichandran Ashwin, who not only restored his captain's faith but also added to England's misery by dismissing Joe Root and Ollie Pope in short succession. Axar Patel made an easy catch at backward point as Root, despite having an injury to his finger, attempted to attack after Pope had scored 23 runs and edged Ashwin to Rohit Sharma at slip.
With characteristic aggressiveness, Zak Crawley scored a crucial 73 runs but was eventually declared not out following an LBW appeal by Kuldeep Yadav. This was due to a successful review by India. England's hopes were further harmed by Bairstow, who again seemed promising before falling victim to the LBW call despite his attempt at a review.
