IND v ENG, 4th Test Review: India secures win by an innings margin to take an incontestable 3-0 lead

Ravichandran Ashwin mopped up the English lower order in just 7.2 overs on the final day to hand India a comprehensive win by a margin of an innings and 36 runs and grab the Anthony De Mello Trophy with only one match to go in Chennai. This series win has now stretched India’s unbeaten streak to five series in a row, equaling their previous purple patch which took place from October 2008 to January 2010.

After taking over captaincy from MS Dhoni during the Australia tour last year, Kohli has registered series wins over South Africa (in India), Sri Lanka (in Sri Lanka), West Indies (in West Indies), New Zealand (in India) and now England (in India).

Ashwin’s antics in the morning session saw him finish with 12/167 and come up with the best bowling figures at the Wankhede. The ace off-spinner grabbed 4 wickets at the cost of just 6 runs to bundle out England for just 195 in the second innings.

At the end of the day 4, victory was standing the door of India. The sort of turn Ashwin and Jadeja got from the track made it absolutely nonsensical to think that the last four wickets could stretch the game for more than an hour on the final day. The match, as anticipated, was wrapped quite early. It was vintage India on display in this Test especially from Day two batting in reply to England formidable 400 in the first innings.

Ashwin was fabulous, if anything less and grabbed a wicket in all the four overs he bowled this morning. He came up in an experimental mood and tried every variation he had with him. The carrom ball, side spinner, top-spinner, floater, and arm ball – he delivered all these in the short spell this morning, much to the delight of the viewers and the commentators Sanjay Manjrekar and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan who had this very interesting topic to discuss rather the England batsmen who were falling in a hurry.

He began with the with the wicket of Jonny Bairstow with carom ball in his first over of the day, then a classic ‘bowled through the gates’ dismissal of Chris Woakes followed by Rashid’s caught at the midwicket and another Carrom ball to get rid of the last man James Anderson.

The all-important Jonny Bairstow was the first to depart. His departure dashed all hopes hope any resilience. In the next over Ashwin needed just two balls and cleaned up Woakes with a ripper to complete his 10 wicket haul in the match.

Four balls later, he snapped a nervy Rashid to finish consecutive five-wicket hauls, 24th of his career overall. But, just when it seems the match was nearing its end smoothly, a bit of drama took place in the in the 55th over when Virat and Anderson shared an argument which need umpire intervention. But, there didn’t seem anything serious as it ended with Kohli and the bowler Jadeja walking back with wry smiles on their faces. The verbal action did not help Anderson survive for long as Ashwin got better of him in the following over to wrap up the match in terrific fashion.

Brief Scores: 

England: 385/8 ( Keaton Jennings 117; R Ashwin 6/112) & 195 all out (Joe Root 77; R Ashwin 6/55)

India: 631 all out (Virat Kohli 235; Joe Root 2/31)

Man of the Match: Virat Kohli