IND vs ENG: 4th Test – Indian spinners deliver a crushing series victory
India have managed to seal their place in the final of the World Test Championship with a convincing win in the fourth and final Test against England. It took only 54.5 overs for the hosts skittle the opposition as India won the match by an innings and 25 runs and win the series by 3-1.
Earlier in the game, England won the toss and opted to bat to only post 205 runs in the first innings. None of their batsmen could make use of the fresh pitch. However, their bowlers did well to reduce India to 146/6 at one stage. This is when Rishabh Pant stepped up to the task along with Washington Sundar to stun the opposition.
Pant smacked a whirlwind century to score 101 while Sundar remained unbeaten on 96 as India posted a respectable 365 in the first innings taking a lead of 160 runs. England batsmen, it seemed, had already succumbed to their fate and once again failed to cope up with the quality spin bowling.
They were bowled out for just 135 runs in the final session of the third day to lose the series despite winning the first Test.
It’s all over!
An innings win to seal a brilliant Test series for Team India?
They head to the World Test Championship final with a 3-1 series win over England.✈️#INDvsENG #INDvENG #WTC21 pic.twitter.com/bkIZwWJlhg
— 100MB (@100MasterBlastr) March 6, 2021
Top Performers
Rishabh Pant
Pant’s life has completely changed since his heroics in the Australia tour. He once again proved his mettle in the whites to bail India out of trouble in the first innings. The southpaw played it smartly earlier notching up a patient fifty and then suddenly upped the ante, especially after the second new ball arrived, to reach the three-figure mark in a jiffy. His knock and the partnership with Sundar turned the game on its head and eventually it was crucial in India winning by an innings.
Axar Patel
Yes, Ashwin won the Man of the Series award and picked up a five-wicket haul in the second innings. But Axar Patel stepped up every time India needed through the series and supported Ashwin spinning a web around the England batsmen. He picked nine wickets in this Test as well and scored 43 runs with the bat stretching India’s lead in the first innings. Overall in the series, Axar picked 27 wickets in three Test matches.
Records/Personal Milestones
India registered their 13th consecutive series win at home.
This is the sixth time in Tests that India have come back from being 0-1 down to win the series.
What Next?
India and England will now face-off in the five-match T20I series from March 12 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
