Ranchi, Feb 24: England spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley rattled India on Day 2 of the Fourth Test at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium, here on Saturday.
India were struggling at 218/7 in 71 overs. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal though hit a superb 73, but he too was bowled by Bashir.
The hosts also lost captain Rohit Sharma (2), Shubman Gill (38), Rajat Patidar (17), Ravindra Jadeja (12), Sarfaraz Khan (14) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1) cheaply.
Rohit was removed by English pace spearhead James Anderson, as keeper Ben Foakes caught a sharp edge behind the stumps.
But after Anderson's first wicket, young spinners duo of Bashir and Hartley ran through India. The hosts lost wickets at regular intervals, much to the rejoice of Ben Stokes & Co.
Shubman Gill was looking confident and appeared to be in good touch as he shared a vital 82 runs partnership with Jaiswal. But Gill fell to a sharp off-spin delivery of Shoaib Bashir and was adjudged LBW.
Later, Patidar too fell to Bashir in the same fashion, as he was adjudged LBW for 17. Ravindra Jadeja's feisty innings was too short. He was sent back by Bashir too, caught by Ollie Pope.
Then Tom Hartley removed Sarfaraz Khan and Ashwin in quick succession. Indian innings collapsed like a house of cards.
Earlier, England were bundled out in their first innings for 353, but Joe Root remained unbeaten on 122.
Resuming from 302/7, England added 51 runs, with Ollie Robinson making 58, also his maiden half-century in the format. But they lost their last three wickets for six runs in the span of 17 balls, two of which were picked by Ravindra Jadeja to be India’s stand-out bowler with 4-67. From being 112/5 at lunch on day one, England will be satisfied to get a total above 350.
Day two’s morning began with Robinson resuming from 31 not out and flicking Mohammed Siraj for a boundary. Shortly after, India took the second new ball, but Robinson continued to churn out boundaries – cutting, driving and pulling Akash Deep for three boundaries.
Robinson got his maiden Test fifty with a sweep off Ravindra Jadeja over square leg going for four. But the left-arm spinner had the last laugh as Robinson attempted to reverse-sweep which brushed his glove before going through to the keeper Dhruv Jurel, who took a sharp low catch, ending his 102-run partnership with Root.
Three balls later, Shoaib Bashir went for a wild slog off Jadeja, but the leading edge was snapped by backward point. Anderson was the last man to fall after being adjudged lbw in an attempt to sweep Jadeja, with Root’s 122 not out being the highlight of England’s first innings. (With IANS support)
