Daily Times

AHMEDABAD: Axar Patel got five wickets while R Ashwin got four, including his 400th in Tests, as India wrapped up the third Test against England by 10 wickets within two days to go 2-1 up in the series at the Narendra Modi stadium here on Thursday. With spinners ruling the game, England set India a target of merely 49 runs which the hosts completed without much fuss a little while after Tea on Day 2. England are now out of contention for a place in the final of the ICC World Test Championship. It was only the 22nd time a Test has finished inside two days in the history of the game. It was the 2412th Test match overall.

Having bowled England out for 112 on day one, India began the day 99 for 3 but England triggered a collapse as India slumped from 98 for 2 to be all out for 145. England captain Joe Root, at best a part-time spinner, took a staggering career-best figures of 5 for 8 — his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket — to hasten India’s demise. Left-arm spinner Jack Leach bagged 4 for 54. Only four Indian batsmen reached the double figures in their first innings, with Rohit Sharma being the highest scorer with 66 off 96 balls. That said everything one had to about the pitch. And if Leach and Root were troubling India’s batsmen, Axar and Ashwin were not going to miss out.

England batsmen were completely exposed against much higher quality spin and only three of them entered double-digit scores, with Ben Stokes being the top scorer with 25. Axar set the tone bagging two wickets in the first over, Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow falling for ducks. The left-arm spinner got the first three wickets to fall before Ashwin joined the party dismissing Stokes for the 11th time in 11 Tests. Wickets fell like nine pins as no English batsman could stand up to the stiff challenge. Ashwin had Jofra Archer lbw to a sweep shot to bring up his 400th Test wicket. The offspinner became the second quickest ever to the landmark behind Muttiah Muralitharan, in just his 77th Test.

Meanwhile, Axar bagged his third five wicket haul in just his second Test, reaping rewards for excellent accuracy. India did not use the pace bowlers at all in the second innings, with Washington Sundar requiring to bowl only 4 balls. England’s innings lasted merely 30.4 overs. With just 49 to get, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill ensured there were no hiccups and finished the job, with Rohit slamming Root for a six. England had won the first match in Chennai, before India bounced back to level the series in the same venue.