Visakhapatnam: India beat England by 106 runs on day 4 of the second Test in Vizag to equal the five-match series 1-1.
Chasing 399, England were bowled out for 292 runs in their second innings after the hosts took five of the nine remaining wickets in the first session only. For India, Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets as did spinner Ravi Ashwin who finished the Test with 499 career wickets to his name.
England made a strong start and reached 95-1, but the promoted Rehan Ahmed was trapped leg before by Axar Patel to signal a regular fall of wickets. Opener Zak Crawley looked to be England’s main hope, batting with grace for his 73. When he was given lbw to Kuldeep Yadav on review, the game slipped away.
In the second session, Skipper Ben Stokes was found short by Shreyas Iyer while trying to sneak a quick single as all of England’s hope to win the match became futile. Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley did put up a bit of resistance with a 55-run partnership for the eighth wicket before Bumrah sent back Foakes with a return catch off his own bowling.
England’s last two wickets fell cheaply as India completed a much-needed turnaround after losing the first Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad. The third Test of the series will be played from February 15-19 in Rajkot.
