Ravichandran Ashwin, a veteran Indian off-spinner, ensured that England’s tail did not add critical runs to upset the hosts as the visitors were knocked out for 218 in their first innings in the current fifth Test in Dharamshala on Thursday.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was ready to raise the stakes in the post-tea session, adding some rapid runs. The tactic, however, did not last long since Foakes was unable to execute a sweep shot as well against Ashwin.
While Ben Foakes moved beyond the off-stump line to sweep the ball, he could only get a glove on it as it trickled back onto the stumps, with just enough velocity to remove the bails. It was a terrible dismissal, but the wicketkeeper had to come back after 24 runs.
Here is a video of the dismissal.
Ravichandran Ashwin removed James Anderson in the same over, as the latter attempted to slog the off-spinner but was caught by Devdutt Padikkal at short mid-wicket for a duck.
Here’s how he took the final wicket of England’s innings:
Despite being in a strong position at 175/3, England will be devastated by their batting collapse. While the Bazball mentality emphasizes having no regrets, they may perceive a squandered opportunity to go big.
Ravichandran Ashwin plays perfect second-fiddle to Kuldeep Yadav’s masterclass
After losing the toss in favorable batting conditions, India couldn’t have hoped for a better performance from their bowlers, who limited England to 218 in the first innings.
Kuldeep Yadav was the star of the show, taking five wickets at the same venue where he made his Test debut seven years ago. While he did the majority of the job, the hosts wanted to ensure that the lower order did not cause them problems, as they had enabled England to reach 353 in Ranchi despite having them reeling at 112/5 at one point.
Ravichandran Ashwin ensured that he matched Kuldeep’s brilliance with a high-quality spell in his 100th Test. He took the next four wickets and enjoyed a memorable moment with Kuldeep after bowling England out.
The left-arm wrist-spinner encouraged Ashwin to lead the team off the field and keep the ball because it was his 100th Test. However, the experienced off-spinner allowed his teammate grab the spotlight, demonstrating Ashwin’s team-first attitude both on and off the field.
