0
0
2
0
0
0
= 2
Match Details
ENG vs IND 4th TEST, ENG vs IND 2021
ENG 205(75.5)
135-1054.5
India won by an innings and 25 runs
365(114.4)
IND
+
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Inn 3
Inn 4
Milestone
What more can I say. India the deserved winners. Can't wait for 18th June. Let the win sink in. Till the next time, it's adieus from the commentary box. This is Arya Sekhar Chakraborty signing off on the behalf of my co-commentators Sourya Chowdhury and Karthik Raj.
Virat Kohli, India captain: The comeback in Chennai pleased me the most. The first game was an aberration and England outplayed us. The toss played a crucial role and the bowlers weren't in the context. We bowled and fielded with more intensity and so the comeback was very heartening. Our benchstrength is extremely strong and that's a good sign for Indian cricket. When the transition happens, the standards won't fall and Rishabh and Washy's partnership showed exactly that in a crucial juncture of the match. We had to pick up our body language after the first game in Chennai. Every team in international cricket is a quality side and we need to work hard to beat them, even at home. Keeping that intensity going is most important and is the hallmark of our team. Rohit's knock was the defining moment in Chennai, and Ashwin has been our most bankable player over the years so they have been our best players this series. Now we can accept that the WTC final, which was a distraction in New Zealand in 2020, but now it's a reality.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Man of the Series: The fact that we qualified for the WTC final is very important. The intensity was low after Chennai, despite the high in Australia. Everytime there was a challenging time in the series, someone put their hand up, so this series win was right up there. The last four months have been quite a ride. I didn't think I'd make a hundred in Chennai, I went with the flow because my form with the bat wasn't great. I didn't think I'd start in the XI in Australia, but after all the injuries, especially to Jadeja, there was more responsibility on me and I'm content with my performances in Australia and here. Being desperate is bad, being content is bad, but it's important for me to be happy, and I've stayed on my feet, and worked out batsmen and I'm happy it has worked out well for me. If you put a board on what Rishabh has gone through in the last year, it's been a little unfair being compared to legends, and the way he's come out of it and kept in this series has been excellent. Axar is someone who came into replace Jaddu. He deserved all the praise and he was very accurate for someone playing his first series.
Rishabh Pant, Man of the Match: I think the drills have helped, and my confidence has helped, tranferring it from my batting to my keeping. This was a very important innings, especially with the team under pressure. We were in a tough situation at 146-6, and there's nothing better than performing when the team needs you the most. If I get the chance to reverse-flick a fast bowler again, I definitely would.
Joe Root, England Captain: The last three games have been testing for us but credit to India, they've outplayed us. We've got to improve individually and become a better side for this experience. In key areas of the game, India grabbed them and we didn't. Rishabh's innings was one, but at no stage did we lie down. We didn't score the runs that we would have liked, they've outplayed us on the surfaces in front of us, and good luck to them in the (WTC) Final. Rotation, there are different ways to look at it, this is the world we are living in, it's a big year of cricket, three formats to consider, and we can't keep playing guys until they fall over.
Ravi Shastri, India Head coach: It's a great feeling to win the series. It's satisfying to see the youngsters perform in tough situations. The way Pant and Washi played... pressure was on us but from there to get to 360 was incredible. The boys just took one series at a time. Never thought of the Test championship. Things got changed when we were top of the table and when we were not playing. The first Test in Chennai could have been different with a bit more rest. Boys were like zombies, they were tired and there was no crowd to cheer them on. Who will complain about tracks like these. The groundsmen have done a fantastic job. The scoreline of 3-1 doesn't reflect how close the series was. It's like our series in England we lost 1-4. England had their moments and if they grabbed those we could have had a different result. Six months in the bubble, seeing the same faces... The bubble will burst (smiles). It's tough for professional players when you are not doing well.. it's really tough being the bubble. It was a team work, not one individual calling the shots. We've given opportunities for youngsters and they have grabbed those and delivered. They have been in a corner but they have fought from there. This side refuses to give up. We were irrepressible in Australia and we are the same here too. The support staff have put in hours and hours of work to get the best out of the boys and more importantly to have them in the right frame of mind, Our main thing was to show empathy to the players because these are tough times. Pant has been simply magnificent. We were hard on him. Nothing comes easy. He was told in no uncertain terms that he has got to respect the game a little more. He's got to lose a bit of weight and work hard on his keeping. We know the talent he has and he has responded. He has worked like hell for the last few months and the results are here to see. Yesterday's innings was the best counterattacking innings I have seen in India. It was a two phase innings. He built a partnership with Rohit playing against his nature - to do that is not easy - and to turn it on after 50. Keeping has been magnificent and Washi was outstanding too.
Axar Patel: I think the confidence helped me. I got wickets in the first game and kept on carrying the confidence. When me and Washi were batting, we thought the pace variation wasn't there. I only bowled faster ones more often in the previous games but here we needed to vary our pace. When I got back after being run-out, I didn't have enough time to talk to Washi as we were bowled out.
Washington Sundar: To win my first series at home is amazing, feels great. Not at all disappointed to miss the hundred. The 100 will come when it's the right time for me. I am happy to contribute to the team. To be honest, the pitch was very good to bat on. Credit to Anderson, Stokes for getting assistance on this surface, they bowled really well. The wicket is still good to bat on. If you apply yourself you can score.
Arya: The first Test defeat is now a distant memory for the home team and ahead of their next Test match England needs to give some serious thought to their way of tackling players and their rotation policy. Momentum is always important in a game and you cannot deny that fact. I agree that the COVID restrictions has made things difficult but after the win in the opening Test they shouldn't have tinkered with the combination that much which resulted in a total downhill slide and they never really recovered from that. The performance of Dan Lawrence especially in this Test is a huge plus for the visitors but their batting performance overall was very ordinary. Their bowlers kept them in the game in most of the matches but their batsmen never really responded. To be honest there was no demons in this pitch. It was spicy and offered some turn but nothing close to what the English batsmen made that look like. They have many things to ponder upon before the start of their next Test series irrespective of the venues.
Arya: With a lead of 160 runs, India were well on top and England needed something out of the ordinary to bail them out of trouble from that precarious situation. Right from the start, they were never in the game as they kept losing wickets in clusters. Ravichandran Ashwin started the collapse with back to back wickets of Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow and England never managed to claw their way back into the game. The England batting coverage fell off like a pack of cards as Ashwin and Axar yet again spun a web around the English batters and they had no answers in front of their mastery. Just like the first innings, Dan Lawrence was the only batsman who provided some resistance and went onto score a half-century. Eventually, both Axar and Ashwin bagged five wickets each as the visitors were bundled out for a paltry 135 runs.
Arya: Coming into the third day's play, India were well on top with a lead close to 100 and with two set batsmen Washington Sundar and Axar Patel at the crease. Both looked in complete command of proceedings and piled on the agony on the English bowlers in the morning session and almost batted England out of the match. The partnership crossed the 100 mark and Axar had a brain-fade moment which resulted in his dismissal. His run out opened the floodgates and Ben Stokes ran through the tail dismissing Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj in the same over which left Washington Sundar stranded on 96. The southpaw deserved a ton especially after his long vigil at the crease when the chips were down for the home team.
Arya: That's the end of the Test match and just as I predicted after India's loss in the opening Test, the home team bounces back strongly and takes the series 3-1. An utterly dominating performance from the home team and the visitors never looked like making a match out of it. Quite sensational all-round performance from the home team and they will now play New Zealand in the ICC Test Championship final slated to be played at the 'Mecca of Cricket, Lord's from 18th June.
Sourya: A perfect performance this one, India thoroughly deserve this victory and their place in the WTC final.
54.5 Ravichandran Ashwin to Daniel Lawrence
W Wicket!! Five-wicket haul for Ashwin!! That is it, India wrap up a dominant victory by an innings and 25 runs. India also qualify for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. Quick length delivery, the ball turned sharply to beat Lawrence's attempted slog and strike the top of the middle-stump.
54.4 Ravichandran Ashwin to Daniel Lawrence
0 Full and turning big down the leg-side, Lawrence can't connect his flick.
54.3 Ravichandran Ashwin to James Anderson
1 Carrom ball from Ashwin, Anderson pushes it towards mid-wicket for a single
Sourya: Rahane has taken two identical beauties, and Leach's vigil ends finally. It seemed inevitable with the number of plays and misses and the ball turning so viciously.
Commentary