NE SPORTS BUREAU
CHENNAI, FEB 9
Joe Root led from the front as England defeated India by 227 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series. It was India’s second defeat in a Test match since 2013 on home soil.
Seasoned English pacer James Anderson ripped through India’s batting line-up on final day of the Chennai Test as Joe Root & Co. won the contest by 227 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Anderson dismissed Shubman Gill (50), Ajinkya Rahane (0), Rishabh Pant (11) in quick succession on the final day to put the visitors in the driver’s seat.
India kept losing wickets at regular intervals as English bowlers dominated the proceedings on the final day.
Resuming play at 39/1, India lost 5 wickets for cheap and went to lunch at 144/6. Jack Leach started off the proceedings on the final day by providing a huge breakthrough to England with the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara – who has been the batting mainstay of Team India in whites for quite some time.
Anderson then put India on backfoot by removing Gill and vice-captain Rahane in a span of four balls. Pant, who scored an attacking 91 in the first innings, was dismissed for a duck by Anderson.
Skipper Virat Kohli and R Ashwin then tried to bring the derailed innings back on track and stitched 54 runs for the seventh wicket. Kohli was looking set to score his first ton of the year but was bowled by Ben Stokes for 72 after a delivery kept low and went on to hit the stumps. India were eventually bowled out for 192 runs.
One of the strongest teams on home soil, it’s India’s only second loss at home in Tests since 2013.
In Chennai, India last lost a Test match against Pakistan in the year 1999. With the win, England have now won six matches in a row in Asia after registering a 2-0 series triumph against Sri Lanka recently.
England have also claimed the top spot in the World Test Championship table while the Indian team has slipped to the fourth spot.
‘Need to turn up with better body language in 2nd Test’
At the post-match presentation, Kohli said the team didn’t put enough pressure on the tourists in the first innings.
“I don’t think we put enough pressure on them with the ball in the first half. Collectively as a bowling unit, fast bowlers and Ash, were good in the first innings but we also needed to contain a few more runs and create pressure,” Kohli said. The skipper went on to add that the team needs to turn up with a better body language against Root’s men in the 2nd Test.
Joe Root lauds England’s all-round show
Root, who became the first cricketer to score a double ton in his 100th Test match, hailed the team for capitalising on what was a very good batting wicket at M A Chidambaram stadium.
