Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin produced a heady cocktail of spin bowling in tandem as India crushed England by 10 wickets to win the Pink Ball Test and go ahead 2-1 in the four-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday. Chasing 49 for a win, openers Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill batted with aggression and freedom, as if this was a T20 chase.
For the 40,000-odd spectators inside the arena, dressed in bold and beautiful colours, this was paisa vasool day at the veritable dustbowl which had been prepared for the spinners. For the Englishmen to cry over the playing conditions would be natural, as they are not masters in tackling the ball which turns. However, conditions were the same for both the teams and that is why skipper Joe Root was also able to claim five wickets.
To be sure, the atmosphere in this city in the last three days has been festive. The weather was hot and dry, the stadium looked beautiful in its full splendour and the cricket on view was indeed gripping.
It is easy to blame the pitch, which obviously was aiding the tweakers. But all those cricket pundits who talked about winning the toss and batting first would be a recipe for success had to eat crow.
This was a rank turner prepared by the curator, which was even more vicious than the wicket at Chepauk in Chennai, where India won the second Test. Yet, in the ultimate analysis, one has to raise a toast for the Indian spinners.
Watching Axar Patel, the left-arm spin bowler, was like poetry in motion. If he bamboozled the Englishmen in the first innings, he was even more menacing on Wednesday with his nagging accuracy. For someone who made his Test debut in Chennai, the learning curve has been a fast one.
Call it a rub-off effect, playing alongside master-craftsman R.Ashwin, Patel was very tight and preyed on the minds of the English batsmen. But then, what does one say about Ashwin, who bowled beautifully. His nagging accuracy, variations, and being egged on by loquacious wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant, ensured the visiting batsmen were flummoxed repeatedly. Watching Ashwin was magical, as he wrapped his fingers around the Pink ball delightfully and showed classy variations.
Playing his 77th Test, Ashwin reached the magic figure of 400 Test wickets which puts him in the list of all-time great spinners the world has produced. He has faced difficult moments in his career but has never shied away from delivering his best with bat and ball. His five centuries are proof he is one of the genuine all-rounders India has produced in Test history.
It’s strange. This Pink Ball Test was supposed to be an uphill battle for India. Perhaps, there was no swing effect as one usually witnesses under the floodlights. Instead, there was spin, where the bowlers had to stick to the spot and keep bowling. The rest was a matter of time as the assistance offered by the track did the damage. This was a match where the number of leg before wicket dismissals was so high, it spoke volumes about the doubts in the mind of the batsmen — Englishmen (in both innings) and Indians.
However, in the final analysis, it was Joe Root’s men collapsing twice which resulted in them losing so badly. From the time the theatrics began at the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave on Wednesday, with the stone-laying foundation ceremony being gone through, the Englishmen must have been wondering if some kind of occult was taking place!
Well, there were self-created doubts and lack of willingness to stay at the crease which spelt doom for the English side which had come to India with better preparation. They had won the Test series in Sri Lanka. However, beating the Indians in their own den is not easy, and conquering the Final Frontier remains elusive.
Viewed dispassionately, one hopes the curators will prepare a more sporting wicket for the final Test, which will be played at the same venue. The new ground has provision for 11 pitches to be prepared. The final call on the nature of wicket will rest with the curator. Given the spectator interest in this city, a revelation of sorts, it would be apt if a better contest between bat and ball can be witnessed.
For India, this win is of significance as they only need to draw the fourth Test. That will enable them to make it to the ICC World Test Championship final in England this summer. New Zealand have already qualified for it. England’s chances are now over.
