England ceded control of the third Test after giving India a leg up in the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin as Joe Root’s ugly dismissal sparked a batting collapse in Rajkot.
Ashwin’s overnight withdrawal from the Test because of a family emergency meant India could only replace their premier spinner with a substitute fielder, effectively leaving them with 10 players.
But their guests were in obliging mood as Root fell on his sword to his patented reverse ramp on the third morning, with England crumbling from a competitive 224 for two to 319 all out and a deficit of 126.
Root made partial amends in India’s second dig, dismissing first-innings centurion Rohit Sharma, but Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 104 before retiring hurt helped the hosts swell their advantage to an already ominous 322 by stumps on a pitch taking increasing amounts of turn.
Root was not alone in contributing to his own demise as Ben Duckett chased a long hop after a quite brilliant 153 off 151 balls, while Ben Stokes holed out for 41 on his 100th Test as England lost their last five wickets in 38 deliveries, but the Yorkshireman’s dismissal will linger longest in the memory.
The tourists’ profligacy drew parallels with how they fared in last year’s Lord’s Ashes Test, where England were 188 for one in reply to 416, with Australia minus spinner Nathan Lyon due to injury, before a succession of rash shots saw them skittled for 325. They lost that match by 43 runs.
England’s brand under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum has attracted admirers far and wide but they have occasionally been guilty of a lack of game awareness and that was evidenced here.
With India’s bowling stocks depleted and after a gentle start to the third day following Duckett’s swashbuckling 88-ball hundred the previous evening, England did not need to gamble.
Root had claimed 12 boundaries from 21 previous reverse ramps and only been dismissed once but, on this occasion, it appeared ill-judged to target Jasprit Bumrah as Jaiswal reacted sharply to hold on to a chance that flew to him at chest-height.
Root, who had also spilled a difficult chance off Rohit costing 104 runs in India’s first innings, walked off for 18 and has now failed to pass 30 in five attempts this series.
The dismissal was put into harsher context when Jonny Bairstow was undone by sharp turn and plumb lbw to Kuldeep Yadav for his eighth duck against India.
Duckett was not as fluent upon the resumption of his innings but still moved to 150 off 139 balls. He added just three off his next 12 deliveries, which might explain why a batter so accustomed to feeling bat on ball pursued a short and wide delivery from Yadav and toe-ended to cover immediately after drinks.
Stokes was judicious off front and back foot and looked primed to mark his milestone Test in fashion but was suckered into a slog sweep off Jadeja, with Bumrah running back to take a fine catch at cow corner just a few minutes after lunch.
Ben Foakes fell for 13 next ball after pushing at Mohammed Siraj and England collapsed in a heap, losing their last three wickets in nine deliveries.
England were back out on the field in the mid-afternoon heat, where Root shared new-ball duties with James Anderson and made inroads into India’s batting by rapping Rohit on the front pad after he had missed a sweep, with a not out lbw verdict overturned on review.
England were unable to capitalise on a small opening as Shubman Gill got off a pair before he and Jaiswal, both aged under 25, adopted a pragmatic approach that England had earlier lacked.
Only when he was set did Jaiswal start to open up, carting Anderson for six-four-four then slamming successive Tom Hartley full tosses over long-on to reach his half-century.
A double centurion in Visakhapatnam, Jaiswal moved from 50 to 100 in 42 balls, slashing Mark Wood for his ninth four to go with five sixes before a sore back saw him walk off the field before stumps.
Jaiswal contributed 155 in 195 balls with Gill, who finished on 65 not out to flog a willing but tiring England in the sweltering heat. While Hartley accounted for Rajat Patidar late on, India finished on 196 for two to become firm favourites to move 2-1 ahead in this five-match series.
IPL: Gaikwad inspires CSK to emphatic victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad
Ruturaj Gaikwad inspired Chennai Super Kings to a 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.
CSK lost by six wickets to Lucknow Super Giants in their last outing, but they bounced back in emphatic fashion on Sunday.
Captain Gaikwad was in rampant form, plundering 98 runs from 54 balls, a knock that included 10 fours and three sixes, while Daryl Mitchell added a useful 52.
Tushar Deshpande subsequently picked up the mantle with the ball, taking 4-27, including dismissing Hyderabad's top three - Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh.
Aiden Markram offered some resistance with a 26-ball 32, but once skipper Pat Cummins also fell to Deshpande, the game was all but up.
Jaydev Unadkat was the final one to tumble, as Hyderabad were bowled out for 134 and saw CSK move above them into third in the standings.
Data Debrief: Gaikwad on Kohli's heels
With 447 runs across nine innings, Gaikwad is now second on the list of leading run scorers in the IPL this season, behind only the great Virat Kohli (500).
Gaikward, though, has the better strike-rate at 149.49, while he is averaging 63.86.
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
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