It was never meant to be an easy chase for India on a fast-deteriorating fourth-day pitch. The home side also had to deal with a charged-up English side, constantly stirred on by its enigmatic ring-leader Ben Stokes.
But, on a day of wildly swinging fortune, India dug deep into its endless reservoir of resilience to topple England’s 192-run target and seal the Test series 3-1, at the JSCA Stadium here on Monday.
India’s nerve-wracking chase – the biggest on Indian soil in nearly 12 years – was anchored by a poised 72-run partnership for the sixth wicket by Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel.
The Indian batters’ efforts were backed, in no small means, by a limited, but rabidly enthusiastic Ranchi crowd. They cheered on every single Indian run with the same passion as they gasped at every close call the batters survived.
Highlights | IND vs ENG Day 4
Gill and Jurel had earlier joined forces at the point where India’s fate had reached its nadir, right after Lunch when it was reduced to 120 for five by an English spin trio – Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Joe Root – who bowled with great heart and purpose.
With its fortune now hanging by a thread, India relied on the calmness of Gill and Jurel to steady the ship. The duo grafted with determination, ensuring that the Indian lower order wasn’t exposed on a difficult-to-maneuver surface.
Gill and Jurel were cautious against the English spinners but were also mindful of ticking off runs with some smart running. The latter played with soft hands, ensuring that even when he edged the ball, it never carried to the close-in fielders.
With time on their side, the Indian pair refused to take risks, only going for the aggressive route after the target was within sight. Gill gave the charge to Bashir, carting the off-spinner for a couple of sixes to get to his fifty, while Jurel pulled a short ball from Hartley for a four.
Jurel soon rounded up the win with a couple of runs against Hartley and celebrated it by embracing his batting partner in the middle of the pitch as the crowd erupted in joy.
Earlier in the day, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set the stage for their side’s win with a stroke-filled opening stand which nearly cut down the target by half.
England’s Ben Stokes and Shoaib Bashir celebrate after the wicket of India’s Rajat Patidar. | Photo Credit: DEEPAK KR/ The Hindu
The pair understood the need to bat positively early in the day when batting was predicted to be the easiest. While Rohit took on James Anderson with an effortless pick-up shot over long-on for a six, Jaiswal rattled the English spinners with sweeps and cuts.
Just when England feared that the Indian openers were threatening to kill off the game, Joe Root stepped in.
The off-spinner tempted Jaiswal with one floated outside the off stump. The left-handed batter jumped out of the crease, but not in the direction of the ball, eventually edging one for James Anderson to a good, diving catch at short third.
Stokes soon began tinkering with his field like a kid with a Lego set, as he tried to force the game open. And soon he reaped the rewards.
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With the cracks on the pitch starting to diverge, the English spinners began to pack a punch. Rohit, who had got to his fifty by then, was starting to feel the pinch, with runs starting to dry up.
His twitchiness soon set the way for his dismissal as the right-handed batter danced down against Hartley, only to find the left-arm spinner had dragged his length back. An edge came next, and a regulation catch for Ben Foakes followed as the English players bundled around in excitement.
The English momentum was enough to wave over a struggling Rajat Patidar, while Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan gifted their wickets to an enterprising Bashir right after the Lunch break. The English ascendancy though had reached its peak, as Gill and Jurel helped India claw its way back into the game, complete a famous win, and hand Stokes his first Test series defeat as captain.
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