Ashwin, Patel star as IND thrash ENG to level Test series

India players celebrate the fall of a wicket during the second Test against England 

CHENNAI, AFP: India (IND) Captain Virat Kohli said on Tuesday his side showed more “grit” and “determination” to thrash England (ENG) in the second Test, playing down complaints about the difficult pitch.

With local hero Ravichandran Ashwin claiming eight wickets in the match and scoring 106 in the second innings, IND completed a 317-run victory inside four days at Chennai.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel claimed a five-wicket haul on his Test debut as ENG were out for 164, while chasing an unlikely 482 on day four.

Some, including often-wrong pundit Michael Vaughan, said the Chennai pitch, which crumbled from nearly the first day, was not fit for a Test.

However, ENG made no public complaint and Kohli rejected the criticism and said his side played a “perfect game”.

“I think our application with the bat was outstanding,” said the IND captain.

“The conditions were challenging for both sides but we showed more application and grit and determination to battle it out. We didn’t panic out there looking at the hard turn and bounce on that pitch.” 

Kohli highlighted that India scored 600 runs over two innings despite the conditions, and winning the toss made no difference.

“So, if you put up that kind of batting performance and you string in those important batting partnerships then we know that our bowlers are going to do the job.” 

ENG Captain Joe Root conceded that his side were “outplayed in all three departments this week” and had to learn quickly before the third Test in Ahmedabad, but he added: “I would say it was a challenging wicket. I do think that it was an important toss to win.” 

ENG, he said, now have to be “honest” and learn quickly to adapt to conditions in IND.

ENG, struggling since the opening day, kept losing wickets after resuming on 53/3 on day four.

Root departed for 33 soon after lunch, falling to a lifter from Patel. Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav joined in to finish off the innings, taking Moeen Ali after he smashed 43 off 18 balls. The last wicket partnership of 38 between Ali and Stuart Broad, unbeaten on five, was ENG’s highest of the match.

ENG, who have been resting and rotating players, said Ali would be returning home after the Test. Ali had coronavirus in Sri Lanka but recovered to take a total of eight wickets in the second Test against IND.

Ashwin’s five wickets to help bowl out ENG for 134 in the first innings in response to IND’s 329 set the tone for the host’s dominance.

ENG conceded a lead of 195 and then struggled on a pitch that offered turn from day one.

“This wicket was very different to the one we played on in the first game,” Ashwin conceded, but he added that the wickets had not fallen from the balls he expected.

“It was the mind of the batsmen that got us wickets.” 

Opener Rohit Sharma hit an attacking 161 to set up India’s big innings after they won the toss and elected to bat first.

Sharma’s seventh Test century and his first against ENG raised the pitch of the returning Indian crowd – present in a stadium for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Kohli made 62 in the second innings, putting on a key 96-run seventh-wicket partnership with Ashwin on day three.

Both sides need to win the series to take the second place in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand later this year.

The third Test – a day-night match – will begin in Ahmedabad on 24 February. Fans will be allowed into the world’s biggest cricket stadium – with a capacity of 110,000 – with tickets on sale. It is not clear how many spectators would be allowed entry.