There was some huff and puff in the chase. After that, India had the last laugh and also secured the series winners’ trophy. It was not the most convincing of performances with the bat on a tricky pitch in Ranchi. But given that the hosts were playing without a number of regulars, this win against England should rank among one of India’s memorable performances at home of late.
In the end, Shubman Gill (52 not out) and Dhruv Jurel (39 not out) were the stars of the Indian second innings, after a solid opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Despite that 84-run partnership, India slipped to a spot of bother soon after lunch at 120-5. Jurel’s calm enterprise and Gill’s invaluable patience ensured that there were no further hiccups.
The series-clinching, unbroken 72-run stand for the sixth wicket between Gill and Jurel should do a world of good to them as individuals, and also to the team. Playing only his second Test and having made 90 in the first innings, the wicketkeeper found himself with the task of finishing it off after weathering a bit of a storm against the turning ball. Jurel once again pulled it off.
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Gill was under pressure early on during the series following a chain of indifferent outings. He excelled at that No. 3 position in the second, third and fourth Tests. All his contributions — a century, a 91 and this unbeaten 52 — came in the second innings. That underscores the real value of the runs he scored. All of them came in winning causes.
India started the fourth day as the favourites to clinch this. In pursuit of 192 to win, they had knocked 40 runs off the target the previous evening itself. So, 152 to more to get with 10 wickets in hand was not that steep a task, on paper. But this Test was not played on paper. It was on a pitch where the ball kept low and also took turn.
Led by Rohit (55) and supported by Jaiswal (37), India got a good start on Day 4. These two added 44 to the overnight total at a fairly fast clip. This handed India the initiative and strengthened their already strong position. Early wickets could have put them under pressure and energised England. The runs they added eased the tension significantly.
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On a personal note and also as the captain, Rohit was under pressure in this series. He was short on runs in the first two Tests and leading a depleted batting unit. The captain played himself back into form with a century in the third Test. In Ranchi, he failed in the first innings, but came good in the second. His six off James Anderson early on Monday was a pressure-release shot as well as a statement of intent that India were not ready to go into a shell.
The dismissals of Jaiswal, Rohit, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan and Ravindra Jadeja gave England hope. One more wicket at that stage could have thrown the match open. However, Gill and Jurel played decisive roles. It was sensible batting from both ends, devoid of adventure, which was just what the doctor had ordered.
England were in a position to take the game away from India. Their first-innings total of 353 was a good one considering the surface and it started looking more intimidating when India slumped to 177-7. That was when Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav shared a match-turning partnership. But for that, the visitors could have taken a decisive lead.
Even after that, India had work to do with the ball and keep England to a low total in their second innings. Once that was taken care of by Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep, it was India’s match to lose. There were nervy moments during the chase, but by and large, it was a job well done. With many regulars missing, this was a notable series win against a much-hyped side.
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