India still requires 381 runs on the final day of the first Chennai Test as the hosts rallied on Sundar's knock and Ashwin's spell to reduce target
India will be requring another huge effort from their batsmen on the fifth and the final day of the ongoing firrst Test in Chennai as they need 381 runs to win or have to play out the day to salvage a draw. In their pursuit of the 420-run target, India lost the wicket of Rohit Sharma as he was clean bowled by the left-arm spinner Jack Leach. India were 39/1 at the stumps as Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill were in the middle.
Owing to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's outstanding bowling spell, India managed to bowl out England for just 178 runs in the second innings.
Ashwin the man again
Ashwin started the innings for India on an extraordinary note, as he removed the opening batsman Rory Burns on the first ball of his spell and the England innings. This was just the start India needed as they were bowled out for 337 in their first innings and were trailing by 241 runs.
India needed something special from their five-pronged bowling attack. Ashwin was the man again for Virat Kohli and co. After removing Burns, the pair of Dominic Sibley and Dan Lawrence started rebuilding and were going at a decent pace. However, it was Ashwin again for the hosts to get the breakthrough.
Ashwin got Sibley to make a mistake and Cheteshwar Pujara latched on to the catch to get England two down.
Skipper Joe Root came out all guns blazing, and took on the bowlers from the outset. But it was time for the pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma to get their names on the wicket columns. Ishant got rid of Lawrence first, completing his 300th Test wicket after which Ashwin came back to dismiss all-rounder Ben Stokes.
Jasprit Bumrah then removed the dangerous looking Root to reduce England to 101/5. The England batting line-up couldn't forge much partnerships, which hurt the visitors as the Indian bowlers kept chipping at the wickets.
As the partnership between Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler started looking dangerous, it was turn of the left-arm Shabaaz Nadeem to get into the wickets. Nadeem removed both Pope and Buttler and Ashwin came back to clean up the tail to achieve his 28th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and finish with figures of 6/61 in the innings.
Ati Sundar by Washington
Earlier, Ashwin's fellow statesman Washington Sundar used the long handle in helping India to reduce the deficit to a huge extent. Starting on their overnight score of 257-6, the two local boys helped India go past 300 in the first hour without any casualties. However, the proving-to-be-expensive Jack Leach got the first breakthrough of the day for the tourists as he removed Ashwin for 31.
Sundar kept going after Ashwin' wicket but he didn't get the required support from the other end as Anderson and Leach removed India's tail and the hosts were bowled out for 337. Sundar remained unbeaten on his spectacular knock of 85 as he helped India to reduce the trail to 241 in the first innings.
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