India vs England: Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin guide hosts to 106-run win in second Test, level series 1-1

India defeated England by 106 runs on Day four of the second Test in Visakhapatnam on Monday, with the victory helping the hosts level the series 1-1 following their defeat in Hyderabad. England resumed their innings from an overnight score of 67/1 but lost their nightwatchman Rehan Ahmed (23) in the first hour of play after he was struck LBW by Axar Patel.

Ollie Pope walked into bat at number four and despite an aggressive start to his knock where he scored five boundaries, Pope couldn’t capitalise on that start after he was caught by skipper Rohit Sharma at slip courtesy R Ashwin’s bowling.

Joe Root, who had sustained a finger injury while fielding on Sunday, then walked out to bat at number five. Like Pope, Root failed to capitalise on an aggressive start after he was caught by Axar Patel at short third off Ashwin’s bowling, while looking to slog across the line.

Zak Crawley, who scored 76 in the first innings, once again put up a positive display after he got his half century in 83 deliveries on Monday. However, Crawley soon fell to Kuldeep Yadav’s LBW trap at the end of the 42^nd over. And for England, matters turned from bad to worse once Bumrah removed Bairstow for 26 in the 43^rd over.

England were in a precarious position at 194/6 by this time and it was up to the two Bens — Stokes and Woakes to revive the visitors, but the England skipper was eventually run-out at the strikers’ end following a throw from Shreyas Iyer, who came charging down from short midwicket.

With England in trouble at 220/7, it was then upto Foakes and Tom Hartley to give them some sort of hope in the contest. The two did forge a 55-run stand, but not without a scare. In the 63^rd over of the chase, Ashwin seemingly got to his 500^th Test wicket after he was taken by Rohit, but Hartley went for a review. Replays showed that the ball deflected from Hartley’s wrist and not the glove. However, that’s not all. The third umpire Paul Reiffel then checked for an LBW, and it turned out to be not out on umpire’s call. Hartley would survive, however, Rohit would then have a chat with on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney regarding the decision. The umpire, though, clarified saying that the out decision was for the catch, while it remained not out on the LBW.

However, Hartley would lose his partner Foakes just a few overs later, who was caught and bowled by Jasprit Bumrah in the 65th over.

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