IND v AUS, 2nd Test, Day 4, Review: Ashwin bags 25th 5 wicket haul, India win by 75 runs

The 2nd Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium between India and Australia has seen its fair share of onfield dramas in action with fortunes fluctuating from one side to the other. After staging an exceptional comeback in the final session of Day 3, the hosts again let the visitors off the hook in the morning session of Day 4 as they collapsed miserably to the 2nd new ball and lost their last 6 wickets for only 36 runs.

Beginning the day’s play at 213/4, both the overnight batsmen Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara looked in complete control. They played out the first hour without any hiccups but with the introduction of the 2nd new ball, Australia stormed back into the match and started picking wickets at regular intervals.

Mitchell Starc triggered the collapse with the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane. It was a full-length delivery on the leg stump which thudded onto his pads. Despite the on-field umpire giving it not out, replays suggested the ball would have crashed onto leg stump and the umpire had to overturn his decision. Triple centurion in his last match Karun Nair was the next to go in the very next delivery.

He went for a booming drive which breached his defence and rattled the timbers. Cheteshwar Pujara too fell in quick time, missing out on a well-deserved century by only 8 runs. Josh Hazlewood got some steep bounce and Pujara failed to keep it down and gave an easy catch to the slip fielder. Ashwin was castled by Hazlewood in the same over as India was reduced to 246/8 from 238/4.

Umesh Yadav was the next man in the procession who headed back to the pavilion. Ishant Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha shared a crucial 18 runs final wicket partnership which propelled their overall lead to 188. While Australia will think they can chase down the target, India, on the other hand, will be upbeat to pull off a victory and level the 4 match series.

India bounced their way back in the 2nd Test after terrific bowling performance in the 32nd session. Setting Australia 188 to win, India got wickets at regular intervals and reduced the visitors to 101/6 at tea on Day 4, needing another 87 to win.

Ishant Sharma provided the initial breakthrough when he dismissed Matt Renshaw with a beautiful delivery. It had steep bounce and Renshaw edged it straight behind the stumps to Wriddhiman Saha. Smith joined Warner in the middle with Australia’s score at 22/1.

India got their 2nd breakthrough when David Warner attempted a slog sweep off Ravichandran Ashwin but missed it completely. the ball thudded on to his pads and the umpire ruled it in favour of the bowling side. The 3rd wicket fell with the addition of 20 odd runs more as Shaun Marsh was adjudged LBW.

It was a tough call as replays showed it would have missed the stumps by a big margin. But Australia decided to go against the review which might cost them dearly at the end of the match. After looking relatively secured in the middle, Steve Smith fell prey to Umesh Yadav as a delivery from the fast bowler didn’t bounce at all.

It struck him plumb in front and umpire Nigel Llong had no hesitation in his mind. Peter Handscpomb and Mitchell Marsh staged a counterattack with a flurry of boundaries but just before tea, twin strikes from Ashwin has again put the hosts in the driver’s seat going into the final session.

Mitchell Marsh failed to negate the extra bounce and gave an easy catch to short leg fielder Karun Nair. Matthew Wade who came in the middle at the fall of Marsh’s wicket looked out of sorts from the word go and finally jabbed at a delivery from Ashwin and inside edged it straight up in the air. Wriddhiman Saha completed a sensational catch which might prove to be a match-winning moment for India.

India completed a sensational victory in the final session of the 4th day as Ravichandran Ashwin bagged his 25th 5 wicket haul to help India win the 2nd Test quite comprehensively by 75 runs. Ashwin first removed Mitchell Starc as he breached through his defence with a straighter delivery. It took the inside edge of Starc’s bat and disturbed the timbers.

Ravindra Jadeja then removed Steve O’Keefe with a flatter trajectory delivery which didn’t bounce much and rattled the stumps. Peter Handscomb in an attempt to score some runs gave away his wicket while attempting a big shot. The ball went high up in the air and Wriddhiman Saha completed a safe catch.

Ashwin finished off the proceedings with the wicket of Nathan Lyon. It was a tossed up delivery and he gave a simple return catch to Ashwin who finished with exceptional figures of 6/41

Brief Scores 

India 1st innings 189 all-out (KL Rahul 90, Nathan Lyon 8/50)

Australia 1st innings 276 all-out (Shaun Marsh 66, Ravindra Jadeja 6/63)

India 2nd innings 274 all-out (Cheteshwar Pujara 92, Ajinkya Rahane 52, Josh Hazlewood 6/67)

Australia 2nd innings 112 (Steve Smith 28, Ravichandran Ashwin 6/41, Umesh Yadav 2/26)

India won by 75 runs