India vs England 2nd Test Day 4: IND vs ENG, In an intense match at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vishakhapatnam, India clinched victory in the second Test, leveling the series at 1-1. All eyes are now on the upcoming match in Rajkot, with expectations running high given the nail-biting encounters of the last two matches.
The fourth day saw England’s Zack Crawley and nightwatchman Rehan Ahmed facing off against India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel. England needed a challenging 332 runs to secure a win, but India’s total of 399 proved too daunting a task.
Despite Ahmed’s spirited start, Axar Patel broke through, dismissing Ahmed for 23. However, England kept up the pace, maintaining a steady scoring rate of around 5 runs per over in the first session. Ollie Pope kicked off his innings aggressively, consistently scoring boundaries and maintaining a striking rate of over 100.
Pope’s aggressive stance eventually led to his dismissal by Ashwin, caught at slip by skipper Rohit Sharma. Joe Root followed suit, starting strong with two boundaries off Ashwin but falling for 16 as he attempted a big shot.
Just before lunch, India gained momentum with crucial wickets, including those of Jonny Bairstow and the well-set Zack Crawley, forcing two new batsmen to take the crease in the second session.
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After lunch, Skipper Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes seemed to be settling in until a direct hit from Shreyas Iyer sent Stokes back to the pavilion. Foakes and Tom Hartley then formed a partnership, providing a glimmer of hope for England, but their innings collapsed swiftly after Foakes’ dismissal.
Earlier in the game, India’s second innings saw a remarkable century from Shubman Gill, supported by crucial contributions from Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. Gill’s stellar performance, including 11 fours and 2 sixes, marked him as the third Indian to score a century at number 3 since 2018.
India’s dominance was evident from the start, with bowlers led by Jasprit Bumrah putting on a spectacular display on day 2, restricting England to a score of 255 and securing a crucial 143-run lead.
For England, Tom Hartley claimed 4 wickets, Rehan Ahmed took 3, and James Anderson secured 2, while debutant Shoaib Bashir clinched 1 wicket in the second innings.