India beat England to take unassailable 3-1 lead

India’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel scored 90 and 39 not out across two innings to play a vital role in India’s five-wicket win in the fourth and penultimate Test against England in the eastern Indian city of Ranchi. The victory helped India win their 17th consecutive home Test series after take an unassailable 3-1 lead. The final Test will be played in Dharamsala.

England batted first and were reduced to 112/5 before Joe Root’s 31st Test century (122) that led to a 113-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ben Foakes (47) and 102-run eighth-wicket partnership with Ollie Robinson (58) took the visitors to a respectable 353 in the first innings.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took 4/67, debutant pace bowler Akash Deep 3/83 and Mohammed Siraj 2/78.

The English bowlers had India on the mat at 177/7 and were set for a big first innings lead but Jurel added 76 for the eighth wicket with Kuldeep Yadav (28) as India ended with 307, just 46 short of English total. Young England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir took 5/119 while left-arm spinner Tom Hartley scalped 3/68.

Despite losing two early wickets, England were on course to setting India a challenging target even as Joe Root fell to a controversial leg-before decision on umpire’s review that prompted ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan to issue scathing criticism. It should be noted that decisions on review in earlier Tests, including against Ollie Pope, had also created some ripples from English quarters.

At 110/3, and with a lead of 156, England looked good to setting India a target beyond 250. However, just as they have done through this series, they let the game slip through injudicious batting. Zak Crawley (42 and 60) tried to carve a Kuldeep Yadav delivery through the off but missed it and was bowled. Soon an edgy skipper Ben Stokes (3 and 4), stuck inside the crease, fell to Yadav to leave England at 120/5.  Jonny Bairstow fell after that and England folded for 145, setting India a target of 192.

India openers Rohit Sharma (2 in 1st innings and 55 in 2nd innings) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (73 and 37) began well, adding 84 for the first wicket but then a flurry of wickets left India at 120/5. However, Jurel and Shubman Gill (52 not out) saw India through to the target.

Jurel, who hails from a village near Indian city of Agra and shifted to Noida in the Indian National Capital Region, was adjudged Player of the Match.  

Cricket, India, England, BCCI, ECB, Test, Ranchi