RA-WIN-DRA scripts historic win

India under Virat Kohli look to be invincible. There seem to be no team that can threaten India in the longest format of the game. After a ruthlessly thrashing New Zealand 3-0, India annihilated England 4-0 by winning the fifth and final Test at the M A Chidambaram Stadium by an innings and 75 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja being the wrecker-in-chief with seven wickets for 48 runs and extended their unbeaten record to 18 matches. 

For the second time in as many Tests, England couldn’t believe their fortunes. They won the toss, scored in excess of 400 in their first innings and by the time the fifth day ended, they had lost by an innings.

The ghosts of Bangladesh were far from over. England lost all ten wickets to a lesser known 19-year-old spinner in one session to lose the match and square the series in Mirpur, and in Chennai they lost 10 wickets in two sessions, on a flatter track precisely, in 48 overs as their horrid sub-continent tour ended on a new low.

Only four England batsmen could get into double figures in England’s second innings — Cook (49), Jennings (54), Moeen Ali (44) and Ben Stokes (23), that showed the supremacy Jadeja enjoyed on this wicket. He bowled 18 overs (in three spells) from the Pavillion end, conceded 28 runs and picked up seven wickets. At a point, England slumped from 192 for four to 207, losing six wickets for 15 runs.

England started the day on a positive note. Their openers Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings negotiated the all-important first session very well and England seemed like they would pull off a draw. But what was dished to a spectacular crowd was a fifth day, final session Test match win that included a stunning catch from Jadeja, that brought the memories of Kapil Dev’s backward running catch in the 1983 World Cup.

Ravichandran Ashwin tempted Alastair Cook to play on the up, beat him with the dip and sharp turn as the ball took the outside edge and the Indian wicketkeeper couldn’t hold on to a sharp chance, the only blip for England in the first session.

Jadeja drew first blood in the third over after lunch when Cook, who walked across his stumps to steer Jadeja behind the keeper, found Rahul at leg slip where the Indian held on to a good catch. It was the sixth time in the series that Jadeja dismissed Cook, a record.

Jennings got to his half-century but soon departed with the score at 110 when he came down the wicket to Jadeja but could only balloon it back to the bowler.

Moeen Ali walked in next and was the southpaw was welcomed with a barrage of short pitched stuff. The left-hander dug deep and was almost out hit-wicket when he miscued a hook off Umesh Yadav but fell inches away from the stumps.

Joe Root was the next to take the walk back to the hut when he tried to sweep Ashwin and missed connecting the ball. India sought DRS’ assistance and it returned with three reds as the result forcing the on-field umpire to change his decision.

Jadeja brought the memories of Kapil Dev’s 1983 World Cup catch in the final when he replicated the feat to send Jonathan Bairstow back to the pavilion. The England batsman tried to flick Ishant Sharma but the ball went high towards deep midwicket where Jadeja took a spectacular catch running backwards.

With four wickets lost in 12.4 overs, England were facing yet another humiliation.

Ali and Ben Stokes added 63 for the fifth wicket in England’s survival bid. They successfully kept the spinners at bay and negotiated the threats from the seamers well.

Jadeja struck in the nick of time sending Ali back when the left-hander spooned an easy catch to Ashwin at mid-on. Two overs later, Jadeja sent Stokes back to complete his five-wicket haul.

When Liam Dawson failed to read Amit Mishra’s googly, it was just a matter of time before the score-line read 4-0.