A session and a half on Day 5 of the Chennai Test is all England needed to pick nine Indian wickets and win the series-opener by 227 runs. The visitors also take a 1-0 lead in the four match series.
India started Day 5 needing 381 runs to win the match or requiring to play out 90 overs to draw the game but halfway into the second session and it’s England who managed to achieve their target, of picking 9 wickets on the day.
James Anderson turned things around in the second innings, picking the big wickets of Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant while left-arm spinner Jack Leach too picked up four wickets. Jofra Archer claimed the last wicket of the match, Jasprit Bumrah caught-behind on 4.
India started the day on the overnight score of 39/1 after Rohit Sharma lost his wicket before Stumps on Day 4. He was bowled by Leach for 12.
Overnight batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill started the final day but their partnership didn't last very long as Leach struck once again, sending back Pujara on 15.
Shubman Gill then had Virat Kohli for company and the duo added 34 runs with Gill even reaching a personal milestone - his third half century in the four Test matches he’s played so far. However, the 21-year-old ended up falling victim to James Anderson, castled just 2 deliveries after his fifty.
Ajinkya Rahane lasted all of 3 deliveries during which he survived one DRS appeal by Anderson but then lost his stumps to the English pacer on the very next delivery.
Rishabh Pant, India's batting hero in the first innings, came out with his flamboyant batting approach and scored 11 off 19 before he became the third scalp of Anderson. The 38-year-old came round the wicket to Pant and angled in a delivery into the batsman who managed to get a leading edge to skipper Joe Root standing at short cover.
Washington Sundar, the next batsman in, also couldn't stay long and got out for a duck against Dom Bess.
India’s score at the fall of Sundar’s wicket was 117/6.
Virat Kohli and Ravi Ashwin then staged a fightback and put together a 54-run seventh wicket partnership during which the Indian skipper completed his half century as well. Ashwin faced some blows on his body but made sure that he didn't give his wicket away as India went into Lunch needing 276 runs with just four wickets in hand.
Virat’s innings though was ended by Ben Stokes who castled him on 72. Shahbaz Nadeem was the next player in and but became the third player in the innings to get out on a duck. Leach’s fourth wicket.
The highest successful chase for India is 406/4, way back in 1976 in the West Indies. India had also chased 387 against England in 2008 in Chennai.
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