After slipping to a heartbreaking loss in Hyderabad, India bounced back in style with a comfortable 106-run victory in the second Test in Vizag to square the five-match series 1-1. Eventually, England were bundled out for 292 in a chase of 399. Jasprit Bumrah (nine wickets in the match), Yashasvi Jaiswal (203 runs in the first innings) and Shubman Gill (104 runs in the second innings) were the standout performers for the home side. India’s fielding, also, was much better compared to the opening Test.
At the start of the day, England still seemed to have a small chance of posting a memorable win. For a while, Zak Crawley, in the company of Rehan Ahmed and Ollie Pope, even raised hopes of making a match out of it. Just that India kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals. Axar Patel trapped Rehan, while Rohit Sharma plucked a brilliant catch in slip to send Pope back.
England’s ultra-aggressive approach also saw Joe Root, their best batter, succumb to an ill-advised slog off R Ashwin. The Bazball approach has rewarded the visiting sides with lots of success. The one minor criticism is that on occasions it is perhaps better to play according to the situation of the game. Although it has to be observed that one can only chase excellence and not perfection. That wicket of Root also turned out to be Ashwin’s 499th Test scalp.
Despite losing Root, Crawley looked quite assured at the crease. His trigger was quite compact against Bumrah. His shot selection while playing the spinners was mostly spot on. Just before lunch break, though, Kuldeep Yadav accounted for the prized scalp of Crawley, with the opener playing back to a delivery that stayed low. Initially, the LBW appeal was turned down, but India took a chance and they were rewarded with three reds. Bumrah then dislodged Bairstow, LBW, to put India on top.
After the break, Shreyas Iyer more or less sealed the deal for the home team by effecting a superb direct hit to send the dangerman Ben Stokes back to the hut. Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley cracked a couple of useful 30s but the pair had too much to do. Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar, who had a forgettable game, provided the finishing touches.
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The hosts were sharper in the field. Not just the wicket of Crawley in the first innings, Stokes and Pope in the second dig fell to some excellent pieces of fielding, India also saved enough runs on the field. Iyer, who made a huge difference in the field, also asked Gill to place his belief in the review in the second innings. Ultimately, the original decision was reversed. So, despite his failures with the bat, Iyer made an important contribution to India’s win.
What about England? They will continue to play with an aggressive mindset for the rest of the series. Under Stokes, they have punched above their weight in the series, especially in the spin-bowling department. Although the poor form of Root would be a cause of concern. They should also think of picking two seamers for the next Test.
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