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Post by Admin on Feb 25, 2024 10:26:31 GMT
India need 192
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Post by Admin on Feb 25, 2024 14:36:22 GMT
Fourth Test, Ranchi (day three of five) England 353 (Root 122*) & 145 (Crawley 60, Ashwin 5-51) India 307 (Jurel 90, Jaiswal 73; Bashir 5-119) & 40-0 (Rohit 24*) India need 152 more runs to win Scorecard England's hopes of forcing a series decider faded dramatically in the face of a stirring India fightback on day three of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
With dogged lower-order resistance and spin bowling of the highest quality, India turned the match on its head. From beginning Sunday 134 behind with only three first-innings wickets in hand, the hosts ended 40-0 in pursuit of 192 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead.
They were dragged to 307 by Dhruv Jurel's 90. The wicketkeeper, crucially dropped on 59 by Ollie Robinson, added 76 with Kuldeep Yadav and another 40 with number 10 Akash Deep.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir ended with 5-119, at 20 years and 135 days the second-youngest England bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
England's lead was a precious 46, every run of which seemed vital as India's spinners conjured tricks from the surface on a riveting, tension-filled afternoon.
Zak Crawley's attractive 60 and Jonny Bairstow's counter-punching 30 were invaluable. No-one else passed 17 in England's 145, Ravichandran Ashwin magnificent for 5-51 and Kuldeep unerring in his 4-22.
India were given 25 minutes to bat before the close and used them to great effect, scoring at five an over. Captain Rohit Sharma has 24 and Yashasvi Jaiswal 16.
Somehow, England need an instant rally on the fourth morning to keep the series alive.
India start well after England collapse - how day three unfolded Series on the line after super Sunday This was a compelling day of Test cricket, in keeping with what would be most expected of the game in this country: an attritional first innings followed by a rush to the conclusion as the spinners wreak havoc in the second.
For as well as England's Bashir and Tom Hartley have bowled, India's slow trio were able to extract so much from the surface.
To the delight of the biggest and noisiest crowd of the Test so far, every ball was an event.
For once, there is an argument to make that England were not aggressive enough. Ben Duckett, Ben Stokes and Bairstow were all victims of tame dismissals. In mitigation, these were the most difficult batting conditions of the tour.
England's run-rate of 2.69 was comfortably their slowest since Stokes became captain. All except three of the 53.5 overs in their second innings were bowled by India's spinners, who revelled in the sharp turn and untrustworthy bounce.
England opened with the spin of Joe Root and Hartley, the latter struggling with his line and four times clipped to the boundary by Rohit.
India will start Monday as favourites to wrap up the series, but England will hope they can use the pitch to turn the fifth Test in Dharamsala into a decider.
Ravichandran Ashwin Ashwin's five-wicket haul was his 35th in Tests, equalling Anil Kumble's record for the most by an India bowler England spun out Any sort of flying start from England could have been enough to seal the match. Instead Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja shared the new ball to indicate the ordeal that lay ahead.
Duckett prodded Ashwin to short leg and Ollie Pope was completely befuddled by a carrom ball to be leg before for a golden duck. Pope has bagged a pair in this match, facing only three deliveries in the process.
Crawley fought back with style, peppering the extra-cover boundary. He added 46 with Root, who was aggrieved to be lbw playing across Ashwin, and another 45 with Bairstow.
But Crawley was bowled trying to force Kuldeep against the spin, sparking a collapse of five wickets for 23 runs. Stokes played on via his pad, Hartley swiped to mid-on and Robinson's poor day continued when he was leg-before for a duck, all to Kuldeep.
In between, Bairstow softly patted Jadeja to short cover from the first ball after tea, meaning England lost their last proper weapon capable of pressurising the relentless India bowling.
Ben Foakes and Bashir resisted for more than 12 overs, adding only 12 runs in the process. Foakes survived 75 balls for his 17, then chipped his 76th delivery back to Ashwin, whose first five-wicket haul of the series was sealed by Jurel's reaction catch from a James Anderson reverse-sweep.
Jurel digs in If India do complete the turnaround they owe so much to Jurel, the 23-year-old playing only his second Test and possibly only holding a place behind the stumps until Rishabh Pant returns to fitness.
At 177-7 on Saturday, India could have conceded a huge lead. Jurel and Kuldeep battled to 219-7 overnight, with Jurel resuming on 30 on Sunday.
The early conditions were benign, Robinson again struggled for bite and the eighth-wicket pair added 34 runs before Anderson got Kuldeep to chop on for 28.
England did well to contain the scoring, conceding only two boundaries in the first hour, but the life given to Jurel could prove to be match-defining. A clip off the toes at Bashir should have been held at head-height by Robinson at mid-wicket - India were still 87 behind at the time.
With Deep for company, Jurel farmed the strike and played big shots when given the chance - twice Bashir was hit for six. Deep also swung a six of his own, before Bashir skipped one into the pads to complete his first five-wicket haul in professional cricket.
Jurel continued towards a century, heaving Hartley over the leg-side rope, only to play all around the same man and be bowled 10 runs short of three figures.
'On that pitch, anything is possible' - reaction England bowler Shoaib Bashir on TNT Sports: "I want to dedicate this [five-wicket haul] to my two late grandads who passed away around a year and a half ago, they loved Test cricket and their wish was for me to play. I'm so grateful.
"We'd have liked one or two wickets in that period at the end but we've got a big job to do tomorrow. On that pitch, anything is possible."
India bowler Ravichandran Ashwin on TNT Sports: "I enjoy bowling with the new ball and today was another of those days.
"We showed phenomenal character. Kuldeep was brilliant today. Jurel's defence was gun and he showed great composure, we were very calm in the dressing room. For just his second Test, he had a great game plan and it gave us a huge lift."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "India have once again found a way of having a dominant day that looks likely to win them this Test and the series.
"England's bad days are really, really bad - and that looks likely to cost them.
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Post by Admin on Feb 26, 2024 8:44:22 GMT
Lost by 5 wickets and the series has now gonw 3-1 India
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Post by Admin on Feb 26, 2024 9:09:01 GMT
Fourth Test, Ranchi (day four of five) England 353 (Root 122*) & 145 (Crawley 60, Ashwin 5-51) India 307 (Jurel 90, Jaiswal 73; Bashir 5-119) & 192-5 (Gill 52*, Jurel 39*; Bashir 3-79) India won by five wickets, lead series 3-1 Scorecard England threatened to pull off a famous victory only for India to seal the series with a five-wicket win on the fourth day of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Shoaib Bashir took two wickets in two balls just after lunch to leave India five down and 72 runs short of their target of 192.
But Shubman Gill made a chanceless unbeaten 52, sharing an unbroken stand of 72 with Dhruv Jurel, who ended 39 not out.
India had earlier been cruising, only to lose three wickets for 16 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal skewed Joe Root to James Anderson to be out for 37, Rohit Sharma edged Tom Hartley behind on 55 and Rajat Patidar was out to Bashir for a duck.
Scoring stopped, tension rose and England's belief grew. When Bashir pulled off his double strike, the prospect of an England win began to feel like a reality.
Instead India take an unassailable 3-1 lead and stretch a proud unbeaten home record that dates back to 2012, while England suffer their first series defeat under Ben Stokes' captaincy.
There is a break of more than a week before the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala begins on 7 March.
England left to rue small margins This was a captivating conclusion to a superb Test in what has been a wonderful series. When Rohit and Jaiswal were making untroubled progress to 82-0 there was no sign of the drama that would follow.
England were excellent on Monday, buzzing around in the field in an attempt to recapture the initiative they surrendered on Sunday.
Ultimately, they were left with too much to do. Even with the pitch playing tricks, and Bashir and Hartley belying their lack of experience, England were halted by the calmness of Gill and Jurel.
Like in their defeats in the second and third Tests, England can reflect on the moments of missed opportunity in this game.
Stokes' side gave away their final three first-innings wickets for six runs and lost 5-23 in their second. Ollie Robinson's crucial drop allowed Jurel to score 31 more runs on Sunday morning. How England would have loved to add 50 more to India's target.
Instead, they suffer their first series loss in two years and, after draws with New Zealand and Australia, England have gone three series without a win.
Bashir almost bowls England to victory Shoaib Bashir celebrates a wicket Shoaib Bashir took eight wickets in what was only his second Test match Bashir is one of the most inspired England selections in recent memory. After picking up his first five-wicket haul in the first innings, he almost took England to victory in the second - bar the occasional change of end, he bowled for all of the fourth day.
From 40-0 overnight, Rohit and Jaiswal scored quickly in the opening half an hour. Rohit clipped Anderson for six and England shuffled their bowlers. Root's flight deceived Jaiswal and Anderson athletically took a diving catch at backward point.
Bashir and Hartley were employed in tandem. Hartley took the edge of the advancing Rohit and Ollie Pope held a fine catch at backward short leg to dismiss the struggling Patidar.
Gill and Ravindra Jadeja survived until lunch, only for Jadeja to pat a Bashir full toss to Jonny Bairstow at mid-wicket and, next ball, Sarfaraz Khan was caught at short leg.
Runs were almost impossible to score - India went 31 overs without a boundary off the bat. Jurel almost miscued Hartley to point, while the ball regularly scuttled low or turned past the edge.
India clung on. Bashir and Hartley switched ends, England constantly shuffled the field, but when Gill hit Bashir back over his head for six, the game was up.
Gill went past 50 with another maximum in the same over and Jurel hit the winning runs from the next.
India youngsters see them through India's Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel walk off after victory Dhruv Jurel, right, was named man of the match after scoring 129 runs in the match Even with their formidable home record, this will feel like a significant series win for India, who have come from 1-0 down without a number of established stars.
Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant have missed out entirely, KL Rahul has played only one Test and Jasprit Bumrah was rested for this match. In their place, Jurel, Gill and Jaiswal have stood up.
It was Jurel who led India's fightback from 177-7 in the first innings. The wicketkeeper's 90, in only his second Test, gave India momentum upon which their spinners capitalised on the third afternoon.
And Jurel's arrival calmed India on Monday. He formed a match-winning partnership with Gill, who began with uncertainty but grew in stature after lunch.
Jurel's drive for four off Bashir, from the 36th delivery he faced, broke England's hold on the game. Both men used their feet, often just to defend.
Gill faced 119 balls before his first boundary, the first of the sixes off Bashir. It was a performance of grit, determination and iron-will to seal India's 17th successive home series win.
'England out-skilled' - what they said England captain Ben Stokes: "It was a great Test match. The scoreline says India win by five wickets but I don't think that gives enough credit to sum up the game as a whole.
India captain Rohit Sharma: "It has been a very hard-fought series. To come out on the right side after four Tests feels really good. A lot of challenges have been thrown at us but we responded pretty well."
Ex-England batter Mark Ramprakash: "England played their part, boosted by Joe Root's gritty century, but ultimately they were out-skilled in these conditions."
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Post by man in the stand on Feb 26, 2024 18:43:39 GMT
In the end India's inexperienced batsmen won out against England's inexperienced slow bowlers..really missed Leach today..
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Post by Admin on Mar 3, 2024 17:38:22 GMT
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Post by Admin on Mar 5, 2024 18:11:31 GMT
5th TEST Dharamasala 7/3/24 to 11/3/24Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (abbreviated as the HPCA Stadium) is an international cricket stadium in Dharamshala hill station of Himachal Pradesh, India.[2] The stadium is the home ground of Himachal Pradesh cricket team, Himachal Pradesh women's cricket team and headquarter of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, the governing body of cricket in Himachal Pradesh state.[3] It hosted 5 games of 2023 Cricket World Cup, including New Zealand vs India.[3] Location and history The snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background The stadium served as the home ground for the Himachal Pradesh cricket team for Ranji Trophy matches and other domestic matches. The stadium also hosted some IPL matches as a home stadium for Punjab Kings.[4] The picturesque venue is unique in India as it is situated at an altitude of 1,457 m above sea level and has snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background. Getting to Dharamsala from the nearby Kangra Airport, which is about 8 kilometres away through the hilly terrain and the harsh winters, during which it rains and snows, is a deterrent to organizing regular matches.[citation needed] Dav Whatmore, the former Director of the National Cricket Academy in India had recommended during his tenure that the stadium is suitable for hosting international cricket matches. The first international team who played in this ground was the Pakistani cricket team, when they played a warm-up match against an India A side in 2005.[4] The first One Day International (ODI) at this stadium was played between India and England on 27 January 2013. England won the match by 7 wickets. The first Test at this stadium was played between India- Australia on 25–29 March 2017, India won the match.[5] In November 2015, the stadium was selected as one of the six new Test match venues in India along with the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, JSCA International Stadium Complex, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Holkar Stadium and Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.[6] The venue has been used sporadically for IPL matches and due to its high altitude has a reputation for six hitting. Adam Gilchrist became the first player to score a century in the IPL at the HPCA stadium in 2011 against RCB, an innings that included a 122m six off Charl Langeveldt.[7] #
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Post by Admin on Mar 6, 2024 7:36:25 GMT
Wood replaces Robinson
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Post by Admin on Mar 7, 2024 8:27:53 GMT
The phrase England collapses is back
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Post by Admin on Mar 7, 2024 12:56:51 GMT
Fifth Test, Dharamsala (day one of five): England 218: Crawley 79; Kuldeep 5-72, Ashwin 4-51 India 135-1: Jaiswal 57, Rohit 52* India trail by 83 runs Scorecard England's hopes of salvaging a final victory from their tour of India are already in grave danger after an awful batting collapse on day one of the fifth Test in Dharamsala.
The tourists were spun out for 218, losing their last eight wickets for 81 runs and at one stage a calamitous 5-8 in 37 deliveries.
Opener Zak Crawley made an attractive 79, surviving the exaggerated movement found by the India new-ball bowlers in the mountain air after England won the toss.
Crawley's dismissal, bowled by a sharp turner from the magical Kuldeep Yadav, preceded the real carnage. Jonny Bairstow, playing his 100th Test, Joe Root and Ben Stokes were all dismissed in the space of 13 balls for no addition to the score.
On a good batting surface, albeit one offering turn, all 10 England wickets fell to spin. Left-armer Kuldeep bewitched England for 5-72, while Ravichandran Ashwin marked his own 100th Test with 4-51.
Any suggestion of a swift England fightback with the ball was snuffed out by an opening stand of 104 between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma.
Jaiswal was stumped off Shoaib Bashir for 57, but Rohit remained on 52 not out, guiding his team to 135-1, only 83 behind.
Can you name every England cricketer to play 100 Tests? India's dominant day in Dharamsala - as it happened England risk ending with a whimper England may feel this Test could have been a decider, and captain Stokes is insistent his team have made progress despite the 3-1 scoreline. A final result of 3-2 would be creditable and support the skipper's assertion, but instead the tourists are heading for a 4-1 defeat and a battle to justify any talk of progression.
The setting could not be more picturesque. The snow-capped mountains, brightly coloured seats and stands of Dharamsala hint at a cricketing Disneyland. Rather than take inspiration from their surroundings or a meeting with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, England put on an end-of-tour showing lacking in steel.
This is a match of milestones. Bairstow was emotional as his family joined him in the England huddle before play, while Ashwin was given a guard of honour as India took the field. James Anderson is two short of 700 Test wickets. Ultimately, the most important number is England's 218 - their lowest first-innings total since September 2022.
Some of the batters were reckless, others simply undone by the skilful Indian spinners. Three of Kuldeep's wickets came from England not being able to pick his googly.
Off-spinner Bashir at least recovered from illness to take his place in the XI, only to be hit for three sixes in his first over by Jaiswal.
Ollie Robinson is still ill, leaving England with 13 fit players and resulting in assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick, 48, and Paul Collingwood, 47, named as fielding substitutes. England might have been better calling on them to bat too.
England fall apart after promising start India fielder Shubman Gill takes a catch over his shoulder Shubman Gill took a superb catch over his shoulder to make the breakthrough for India Crawley and Ben Duckett did well to come through a testing first hour, even if the India seamers wasted the movement by bowling too short.
England's openers added 64 for the first wicket, only for Kuldeep's introduction in the 18th over to change the course of the day. Duckett, on 27, miscued an attempted loft down the ground and was well caught by Shubman Gill running back from cover.
Another skittish Ollie Pope innings resulted in him charging at Kuldeep to be stumped by a distance in the final over before lunch, but even then 100-2 represented a solid morning.
Crawley, England's leading runscorer since last year's Ashes began, played gorgeous drives and a languid loft off Ashwin for six. He survived being caught at bat-pad off Kuldeep, with India failing to review, but after he missed another drive at Kuldeep's ripper, England unravelled.
Bairstow's 18 balls yielded 29 runs, two sixes, a drop and finally an edge behind off Kuldeep. Root was lbw on the front foot to Ravindra Jadeja, Stokes leg before on the back foot to Kuldeep. England's guts had been ripped out.
Tom Hartley holed out, Mark Wood edged to slip, Ben Foakes tried to guide the tail for 24 before dragging a sweep on to his stumps and Anderson slapped straight to mid-wicket.
India finishing strongly India have completely turned this series around since their defeat in the first Test. They dominated this opening day to get on course for a huge win.
Kuldeep's spell of 15 consecutive overs was wonderful. He bowled with unerring control, arcing flight and disguised variations. Pope, Bairstow and Stokes all fell to the googly.
The wrist-spinner took five of the first six wickets to fall before being withdrawn for Ashwin to torment the tail, the off-spinner claiming the final four.
England needed a strong start with the ball, but Rohit and Jaiswal put the visitors' batting into context. Rohit pulled Wood for six, while Jaiswal treated Bashir with disdain.
Rohit overturned being given out caught down the leg side off Anderson on 20 and Jaiswal, at the age of 22, reached 1,000 runs in his 16th Test innings - the second-fastest by an Indian man.
Jaiswal passed 50 and was just starting to motor when he ran past Bashir and was stumped, but Gill arrived to accompany Rohit, who carries an ominous presence into the second day.
'A seriously chastening day' - reaction England batting coach Marcus Trescothick on TNT Sports: "A challenging day. We had some good moments. We just didn't get enough partnerships together in the middle, to put the total on the board.
"You never look at a game like you're dead and buried."
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew: "A seriously chastening day in which the lessons England have been dealt in this series regarding prizing your wicket were ignored again.
"England appear to be down and out already."
Former England captain Alastair Cook on TNT Sports: "The only way England can win this game is by matching India's first-innings score in their second innings and then setting them 200 to win. That is the mentality England's batters will have to have."
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Post by Admin on Mar 8, 2024 17:16:28 GMT
Fifth Test, Dharamsala (day two of five): England 218: Crawley 79; Kuldeep 5-72, Ashwin 4-51 India 473-8: Gill 110, Rohit 103, Padikkal 65, Jaiswal 57, Sarfaraz 56; Bashir 4-170 India lead by 255 runs Scorecard Ben Stokes took a wicket with his first competitive delivery for eight months but could not prevent England sliding towards defeat by India on the second day of the fifth Test in Dharamsala.
Captain Stokes, bowling for the first time since July after surgery on his left knee, came on in the second over after lunch and immediately disturbed opposite number Rohit Sharma's off stump.
By then, Rohit and Shubman Gill had a gone long way towards batting England out of the game, each making centuries as India piled on the runs in the morning session.
Rohit, who was dropped by Zak Crawley, made 103 and Gill 110 in a second-wicket partnership of 171.
Sarfaraz Khan and debutant Devdutt Padikkal both made half-centuries to push India's lead towards 200, but England fought back well in the evening session.
Spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley engineered an India slump of five wickets for 52 runs before Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah took the hosts to 473-8, leading by 255.
It is a prime position from which India can earn a huge victory and end the series as 4-1 winners.
'Stokes offers faint silver lining to England's day in the dirt' TMS podcast: India dominant on day two India dominate again on day two in Dharamsala - as it happened England on brink after action-packed day This had all the makings of a hard slog for England, and there certainly times when Rohit and Gill were together that it looked like being their most hopeless day at the end of a long tour.
No doubt India have batted themselves into a position where they could win by a massive margin, possibly as early as Saturday. The home side took every opportunity to attack England's weary bowlers and were helped by some woeful boundary fielding.
In Stokes, England have the ultimate competitor and a long-teased return to bowling became a reality as he warmed up during the lunch break.
The captain barely celebrated when he produced the beauty to Rohit, but England were pumped when James Anderson bowled Gill in the next over to move to 699 Test wickets. At that stage, India were three down with a lead of 68 and England had a glimpse.
Sarfaraz and Padikkal snatched it away with a fourth-wicket stand of 97, and England could have been steamrollered in the glorious evening sunshine had it not been for the perseverance of their spinners and some gifts from the Indians.
By the end, though, England were left facing a battle just to make India bat again.
Rohit and Gill push on India took control on day one, bowling England out for 218 and moving to 135-1 in response. When Rohit and Gill resumed the following morning, they made their intentions clear - Rohit hit Bashir for six in the third over, Gill did the same to Anderson in the fourth.
Rohit had 68 when he was missed by Crawley. Standing at leg slip, Crawley barely got a hand on one that Rohit turned off his hip from Bashir.
Gill was troubled by a pacey spell from Mark Wood, but kept attacking Bashir with two more sixes. Rohit reached his 12th Test hundred and Gill his fourth as 129 runs were scored in the morning session.
The Stokes-inspired double strike briefly checked India's progress before Sarfaraz kicked into gear. He had only nine off 30 balls, but then raced to 50 from 55. At the other end, left-hander Padikkal played flowing strokes through the off side.
Sarfaraz was out for 56 and Padikkal for 65, both to Bashir just after tea. Scoring slowed almost to a standstill and at one stage Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were out for the addition of only one run.
Kuldeep and Bumrah stopped the rot. Their runs were a bonus, but their real focus will be bowling India towards victory on day three.
Stokes headlines as spinners plug away England captain Ben Stokes (left) and spinner Shoaib Bashir (right) celebrate a wicket Shoaib Bashir impressed by taking three wickets in the final session This was likely one last full day in the dirt for England. At times the punishment dished out by the India batters was incongruous with the surrounding beauty of the Himalayan mountains.
England were powerless as Rohit and Gill scored freely in the morning. Wood went at more than six an over, Anderson's slow crawl towards 700 Test wickets advanced just one and the eight sixes Bashir was flogged for tied the record for an England bowler in a single Test innings.
But Stokes' bowling return, his first spell for 251 days, was pure theatre. The delivery that got Rohit nipped away to take the top of off stump, ending a run of 28 consecutive wickets taken by spinners going back to the fourth Test.
Bashir had figures of 1-111 from his first 23 overs, yet was entrusted with the second new ball and repaid Stokes' faith. Sarfaraz chopped to slip, Padikkal played around one to be bowled and Jurel could not resist lofting to long-on.
Hartley dovetailed nicely from the other end. Jadeja was pinned on the back foot and Ashwin was bowled as three wickets fell in the space of nine balls.
Bashir could have had a fifth right before the close. Kuldeep swept into his boot, gully Stokes dived in front of slip Joe Root, but could not cling on.
'A heck of an effort' - reaction India batter Shubman Gill on TNT Sports: "I want to make big scores every time but I missed out on a big one today, I didn't play properly to the ball I got out to."
England spin coach Jeetan Patel on TNT: "To finish the day with them eight down, that's a heck of an effort. There are a lot of tired guys in there and rightly so because they have put in such a shift."
Former England spinner Phil Tufnell: "It has been a couple of great days for India. There is a mountain for England to climb. They did it in the first Test and that is what they've got to keep in the back of their mind. They can come back into it. The pitch is still playing alright."
Former England bowler Steven Finn on TNT: "England's spinners are learning on the job and they've done brilliantly. I don't think this can be misconstrued that they've been sub-par because they haven't."
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Post by Admin on Mar 9, 2024 8:20:55 GMT
178-9 the end is nigh
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Post by Admin on Mar 9, 2024 17:53:15 GMT
Fifth Test, Dharamsala (day three of five): England 218 (Crawley 79; Kuldeep 5-72, Ashwin 4-51) & 195 (Root 84; Ashwin 5-77) India 474: (Gill 110, Rohit 103, Padikkal 65, Jaiswal 57, Sarfaraz 56; Bashir 5-173) India won by an innings and 64 runs, won series 4-1 Scorecard England's tour of India ended in woeful fashion as some spineless top-order batting resulted in a massive defeat inside three days in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.
Needing 259 to make the home side bat again, England were bundled out for 195 to lose by an innings and 64 runs and hand India a 4-1 series victory.
That margin would have been even larger had it not been for Joe Root's 84. England were 113-6 only for Root to coax runs from the tail when the contest was effectively over.
The inept batting overshadowed the early morning achievement of James Anderson, who had Kuldeep Yadav caught behind to become the first pace bowler to reach 700 Test wickets.
With Shoaib Bashir completing his second five-wicket haul of the series, India were bowled out for 477. In blameless conditions, England's minimum requirement was to drag the match into a fourth day.
Instead they folded to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who marked his 100th Test with a mesmerising 5-77.
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope played horrendous strokes, Zak Crawley turned to leg slip, Ben Stokes' defence was flimsy and Ben Foakes was bowled slogging. In between, Jonny Bairstow belted 39 off 31 balls before he was pinned by Kuldeep.
At least Root showed some stomach for the fight, but could not prevent a one-sided drubbing inside eight sessions of play.
While this is England's first series defeat under Stokes, this loss is their seventh in 12 Tests and ends a poor winter across formats that also included a meek defence of the 50-over World Cup.
A quite different England team will turn attention to defending the T20 World Cup in June, with the next Test coming against West Indies at Lord's in July.
India seal crushing win in Dharamsala - as it happened Write me and England off at your peril - Stokes India shouldn't take home wins for granted - Dravid England's frustrating series of missed opportunities - Agnew England unravel to dismal defeat This series promised so much for England after they pulled off a sensational win in the first Test in Hyderabad, but has gradually unravelled to this, by far their worst performance of the tour.
India is an incredibly difficult place for visiting teams. This is their 17th successive home win, a run that stretches back to 2012. At the beginning of the series, a 4-1 win for the hosts would have felt around par.
The disappointment for England comes from the chances they squandered in each of the second, third and fourth Tests. Like last summer's drawn Ashes, England's return could have been better.
There is some mitigation. Harry Brook missed the whole series and Jack Leach played only one Test. England will talk of progress and the emergence of young spinners Bashir and Tom Hartley is a positive.
But England's batting has gradually disintegrated to this final horror show. There are decisions to make over the futures of Bairstow and Foakes, and the pace bowling will need reinforcing for the home summer.
England are midway through what is likely to a four-year spell under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. While their commitment to play entertaining cricket is laudable, it is now time to blend that with consistent results.
Awful batting overshadows Anderson milestone Anderson, 41, is a great of English cricket and British sport. His inch towards 700 wickets has been painstaking over the past year, but the milestone was achieved at a picture-perfect setting, with the sun glinting off the snow-capped Himalayan mountains.
Kuldeep prodded an edge, wicketkeeper Foakes took the catch and Anderson celebrated by waving the ball to the crowd. After Bashir had Jasprit Bumrah stumped by Foakes' sharp hands, England had the opportunity to end the tour with a positive batting showing.
Instead, they imploded in an ill-judged attempt at aggression. Duckett and Pope have had their games picked apart, resulting in Duckett charging Ashwin's fifth ball to be bowled and Pope top-edging a rash sweep. In between Crawley gave leg slip catching practice.
Bairstow, in his 100th Test, hit Ashwin for three sixes only to be undone by Kuldeep's sharp turn. Stokes' batting struggles continued when Ashwin went straight through him, while Foakes was bowled trying an uncharacteristic slog sweep for Ashwin's fifth.
Root dug in, with a trust in defence his team-mates were lacking. His disappointing tour - Root had passed 50 only once before this - ended with the former captain giving England a lesson in patience, shot-selection and adaptability.
He eked 28 runs out of a partnership with Hartley and added another 48 with the determined Bashir. Root was on 78 when he was joined by last-man Anderson, eventually holing out to Kuldeep as he hunted a century.
Anderson becomes first pace bowler to 700 Test wickets Quiz: How many of Anderson's wickets can you name? India end with dominant display India spinner Kuldeep Yadav celebrates taking the final wicket in victory over England Kuldeep Yadav's five-wicket haul on day one helped set India on course for victory If England can point to the players they have been without, India have ultimately dominated this series without all of Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant. KL Rahul played only the first Test and missed the rest of the series with an injury.
Batters Yashasvi Jasiwal, Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan, and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel have all emerged. Even on the final day, captain Rohit Sharma was off the field with a back injury, leaving Bumrah to take charge.
If the batting has a fresh feel, it is ultimately India's experienced and skilful bowlers that have gradually picked England apart. Earlier in the series it was Bumrah's reverse-swing, here it was Kuldeep's five-wicket haul in the first innings and the masterful Ashwin in the second.
Taking the new ball, Ashwin ran riot for his 36th five-wicket haul in Tests - a record for an Indian bowler. He preyed on the fragilities in the techniques of Duckett and Pope, and laid a trap for Crawley. Ashwin has dismissed Stokes more times than any other bowler in Tests and bowled the captain on the stroke of lunch to effectively end any notion of India batting again.
Bumrah had Hartley palpably lbw for 20, India's 17th wicket of the match but the first not taken by a spinner. In the same over, Mark Wood was leg before to a toe-crushing yorker to complete a pair.
India were frustrated by Bashir until Ravindra Jadeja got one to scuttle through, then Root's attempt to loft down the ground ended the match before tea on day three.
'We have been outplayed' - reaction England captain Ben Stokes: "Weare man enough and big enough to accept that we have been outplayed by the better team since the first Test.
"We are going to take the positives from this series and I'm really looking forward to driving this team even further forward."
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin: "A lot has happened over the last week or so, a lot of noise around my 100th Test so it has been quite overwhelming.
"But to have a good game personally and take those wickets, that's all I could have asked for."
India captain Rohit Sharma: "[Our inexperienced players] responded very well to pressure throughout the series and there were a lot of times where we came from behind.
"Credit to the entire team for that because all our players put their hand up at some point to contribute."
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta: "It has been a fascinating series. I don't think the final score does justice to how close it has been.
"Apart from this last Test, England were in a winning position in every match."
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Post by man in the stand on Mar 10, 2024 11:13:41 GMT
"India captain Rohit Sharma: "[Our inexperienced players] responded very well to pressure throughout the series and there were a lot of times where we came from behind.
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The series win illustrates the greater depth in talent in the Indian Team compared to England. You can see why India is the top test team...
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Post by MickeyG on Mar 10, 2024 22:10:39 GMT
They should be the top test team, they have over a billion people in their country and they are cricket mad, compared to England where cricket is sadly, way down the pecking order.
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