India defeated England by an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test to win the four-match series 3-1 and seal a place in the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship. Rishabh Pant (101) and Washington Sundar (96 not out) set up the huge win for India after the hosts had bowled the visitors out for 205 in their first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel picked up five-wicket hauls in the second innings to help India bundle England out for 135.
India started Day 3 at 294 for seven, and Axar Patel along with Sundar continued to score freely in the first hour on Saturday. The duo put on 106 runs for the eighth wicket before a mix-up in the middle ended Axar's stay. He was run out on 43. Ben Stokes then cleaned up Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj inside four deliveries to leave Sundar stranded on 96 as England took the last three wickets in five deliveries to bowl India out for 365.
Stokes was the pick of the bowlers for England as he returned with figures of four for 89. He was ably supported by James Anderson who took three for 44 but their spinners disappointed on a surface that offered some turn and bounce. In the second essay, the hosts came out to bowl with a healthy lead of 160.
England negotiated the last few minutes before lunch without losing any wickets but Ravichandran Ashwin picked up two wickets in two balls to rock the visitors in the post-lunch session. Axar Patel soon joined in the action and removed Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes in quick succession. Joe Root was looking good during his short stay in the middle but he misjudged a length delivery from Ashwin and was trapped in front of the stumps.
Coach Ravi Shastri heaped generous praise on his team and said the eventual score-line did justice to how India have played Test cricket over the last couple of years, also adding how the entire Indian camp would now look forward to the WTC final. It’s been an arduous journey for this team and the coaching and support staff, staying inside bio-bubbles without any contact with the outside world for close to three-and-half-months and facing serious challenges on and off the field.
“These are tough times. We’ve not seen anything like this since the second world war. They’ve overcome all challenges to be here and achieve this. It’s been simply magnificent,” Shastri said. To bring about their series performances to a perfect culmination of sorts, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel - both bowlers having got to England’s nerves the last two weeks – walked away with five wickets each in the second innings. Ashwin, in the process, recording his 30th five-wicket haul.
Pant for his brilliant, game-changing century and some remarkable wicketkeeping, and Ashwin for his 32 wickets and 189 runs, were named the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series.
Both teams will now shift their focus to the shortest format of the game as they will play five Twenty20 Internationals at the same venue, starting March 12.
