Recent Match Report – India vs England, England tour of India, 5th Test،
Strains India 473 for 8 (Gill 110, Rohit 103, Padikkal 65, Sarfaraz 56, Bashir 4-170, Hartley 2-126) advance England 218 per 255 runs
India took the scenic route to a dominant position in the Dharamsala Test, striking throughout the second day to amass a lead of 255 over England with two wickets still standing. There were hundreds for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, fifties for Sarfaraz Khan and debutant Devdutt Padikkal, as the Indian opener helped post a commanding total in the shadow of the Dhauladhars.
Not even Ben Stokes' wizardry with the ball could turn the tide of England's fortunes. Stokes took Rohit's wicket with his first delivery of the series, having not played competitively since the second Ashes Test last year. A well-sewn ball that hit Rohit's off stump as he resumed his innings after the lunch break not only ended a 171-run stand for the second wicket but added to the list of what could have been for England on this tour.
With Stokes back to fulfill his all-rounder status after a 251-day layoff, the England attack played out valiantly in placid conditions. But they were disappointed by a few scruffy moments in the field, including Stokes dropping Sarfaraz while following up on a delivery which was later ruled a no-ball.
Shoaib Bashir impressed once again, providing both durability and edge, although he is still suffering the after-effects of a stomach problem which has limited his involvement in the build-up. His spell of 44 over matched the first innings at Ranchi for his longest first-class cricket, and had Zak Crawley not missed a strong leg-slip chance when Rohit was on 68, Bashir could have celebrated a second five for only his third test. Then, in the final over of Bashir's day, Stokes bowled Kuldeep Yadav at slips as the Indian ninth-wicket pair managed to find their way to the fence.
After a serene morning session for India in which they had added an unbeaten 129, Rohit's dismissal was followed by Gill flattening his stump, James Anderson bagged wicket no. 699 in Tests and gave England with which to rally. The lead at this stage was 61, but any sense of opportunity for England was dashed by another brilliant partnership between two batters going forward.
Padikkal, at No. 4, initially found the boundary with regularity while Sarfaraz settled in. After moving vigilantly towards 9 off 30 balls, Sarfaraz shifted gears with a flurry of attacking shots to raise his third Test half-century. Mark Wood was sent into the crowd before Sarfaraz faced Tom Hartley with the second new ball as India extended their lead beyond 150 at tea.
England struck again just after the break, Bashir having Sarfaraz caught at slip as he tried to push away the first ball. Padikkal nonchalantly bowled the English offspinner for six over long-on to bring up his maiden fifty, but he too could not continue as Bashir caught him at the crease with a shot that turned to touch the top of the stump. Dhruv Jurel broke through to give Bashir his fourth and Hartley then struck twice in the next over, Ravindra Jadeja pinned lbw before R Ashwin played around one who continued with the arm.
By this point, the outline of the day was as clear as the hills in the background, with India having taken the upper hand without breaking a sweat. The overnight pair both registered their second hundreds of the series – Rohit's 12th overall, Gill with his fourth in Tests – as the home side tightened their grip on the match.
Rohit dismissed Bashir twice over his head in the third over of the morning, before Gill charged Anderson to hit him dismissively for six, as they added 50 to the score in the first ten overs of the game Gill's fifty came from 64 balls as he closed the gap on his captain, who continued to bat unfazed after seeing an inside edge from Bashir escape Crawley. India's second consecutive hundred partnership came up when Rohit hit Wood flat through extra cover and they passed England's total of 218 soon after, with Gill sweeping Bashir down the ground for another of his five sixes.
Rohit was the first to reach his century, sending Hartley down the leg side as lunch approached. Two balls later, Gill swept Bashir for four to also bring up three figures. Stokes had dismissed discussions during preparation about whether he could help balance the offense under more favorable conditions, but he immediately produced a “who writes your scripts?” moment after pairing up with Anderson at the start of the afternoon session.
Anderson got his revenge on Gill with one that came back through the gate and Padikkal twice edged out the slips as England briefly recovered. False shots were, however, replaced by a growing sense of authority, as a 97-run stand between Padikkal and Sarfaraz once again closed the door on Stokes and Co. Both batters were left to consider the opportunity to 'an early Test hundred, only for Bashir to inspire another late fightback. But England, after sliding down a ravine with the bat, already found itself facing a mountain to climb.
