IND vs ENG 4th Test: In Ranchi, India put an end to the Bazball hype as Rohit Sharma handed England’s Test skipper Ben Stokes his first series loss. At the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, India defeated England by five wickets to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the five-match Test series.
Stokes’s Unbeaten Streak Shattered
Stokes’s perfect series record as England captain came to an end thanks to a resolute performance by the hosts. Before the India tour, Stokes was unbeaten in six Test series. With this victory, India also increased the number of home Test series victories they have had to 17, since they had not lost one in twelve years.
Star Player Absences
In the absence of several star players, including Mohammed Shami, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul, the young players stood up for India to win the series in Ranchi. With scores of 37 and 73 in the fourth Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal, the series’ top run scorer, maintained his stellar form in Ranchi. In the process, he broke 16-year-old Virender Sehwag’s record for the most sixes in a Test series against England and tied Kohli’s record of 655 runs.
Dhruv Jurel’s Redemption
After missing out on a well-earned debut fifty in Rajkot, Dhruv Jurel turned the course of the match with an important knock of ninety in India’s first innings. In the last innings, he doubled it up with an undefeated 39 to lead India to win.
On the first day, debutant Akash Deep was spot on, taking three wickets to give the visitors a bad start in Ranchi. In the first innings, he conceded 83 runs in 19 overs and finished with three wickets. Rohit did not employ him in the second innings.
Veteran Stars Shine
However, not all young people spoke up for India. Veteran players Rohit and Ravichandran Ashwin also delivered significant performances; Ashwin surpassed the great Anil Kumble to become India’s top Test wicket-taker. He took five wickets in the second innings and went on to take six wickets for the match.
Kuldeep’s All-Round Brilliance
He became an all-arounder under Kuldeep Yadav, dazzling with the bat and the ball. Kuldeep contributed with a tenacious 131-ball 28 to create a vital 77-run partnership with Jurel in India’s opening innings. The left-arm spinner took four wickets with the ball in hand as India crushed the visitors for 145 runs in their second innings.
Root’s Century Dominance
After winning the toss, Stokes chose to bat first on a challenging Ranchi surface. With 122 runs remaining unbroken, ace batsman Joe Root scored a brilliant century to help the visitors score 353 runs in their opening innings. Ben Foakes added 47 and Ollie Robinson reached his first Test fifty to help England rally after being reduced to 122 for 5 on Day 1.
India scored 307 runs in their first innings of replying. Jaiswal put up a spectacular 73, but Jurel was the real standout for India, scoring a solid 90 and creating important alliances with Kuldeep and Akash Deep to cut into England’s lead.
The most impressive bowler for England was Shoaib Bashir, who took his first five wicket haul despite giving up 119 runs in 44 overs.
Ashwin’s Spin Masterclass
On Day 3, India came out swinging, dismissing the visitors for a mere 145 runs. Ashwin delivered yet another masterclass in spin bowling as he tied Kumble for the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian bowler in Test cricket with his 35th five-wicket haul.
Despite Rohit’s half-century in the last innings, India lost wickets quickly after, letting England get back into the match. But Jurel and Shubman Gill calmed the hosts down and put together an undefeated 72-run partnership to win the match for their team.
On Day 4, India won the match by five wickets after successfully chasing down the 192-run mark in 60.5 overs. With this victory, India took an unbeatable 3-1 lead and sealed the five-match Test series. On March 7, the fifth and final Test match of the series will take place at Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium.
