Agency :
The demons were out on Day 2 of the second Test between India and England in Chennai. After just six wickets fell on the opening day, as many as 15 wickets were lost today on a pitch playing all sorts of tricks at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The day belonged to the Indian spin duo of R Ashwin and Axar Patel. While the champion off spinner returned with yet another fifer at home, Axar, on debut was a brilliant support act and picked two huge wickets including the one of Joe Root. England were bowled out for 134 in just under 60 overs handing the home team a massive 195-run first innings lead. India had moved to 54 for 1 at stumps which meant they had an overall lead of 249.
The first hour on Day 2 belonged to England who picked the last four Indian wickets to fall for just 29 more runs in the day. While Rishabh Pant again impressed with the bat with a fine unbeaten 58 off 77 deliveries – a knock that included 7 fours and 3 sixes – the lower-order crumbled without any contribution. Moeen Ali was expensive going at above 4 runs per over but returned with 4 wickets. Olly Stone was the most impressive fast bowler for the visitors and bagged three wickets.
England had a terrible start as Ishant Sharma trapped Rory Burns leg before wicket in the very first over of the innings. From then on it was the Ashwin and Axar show. With the wicket offering sharp turn and bounce and exploding with puffs of dust very often, the Indian spin duo were all over the England batsmen who looked all at sea against them. Ashwin got the big wicket of Dom Sibley who has been magnificent in his last few innings in Asia – the opener becoming the first batsman in the innings to fall to the sweep.
Axar Patel started brilliantly on his Test debut – his first ball induced the edge of Root’s bat while the second one just missed the outside edge. He was getting fast turn. Root’s favourite shot for once deserted him – he was out caught at short-fine leg trying to sweep Axar but the extra turn and bounce did him in. England were in tatters at 23 for 3 in the 11th over. Axar had struck a massive blow in just his second over.
Ashwin and Axar continued to build pressure till Lunch and in the second session too. Dan Lawrence’s uncomfortable stay in the middle ended when Ashwin sent him packing for 9 and soon after Ben Stokes was castled by a peach of a delivery by the off spinner – drifting in and moving away to hit the off stump.
Mohammed Siraj continued to impress and struck off his first ball of the day as Rishabh Pant took an excellent diving catch to his left. Axar dismissed Moeen Ali while Ashwin picked two more to take his 29th fifer in Test cricket. During the course of his five-wicket haul, he also went past Harbhajan Singh to become the second-highest wicket-taker in India after Anil Kumble and also achieved the feat of dismissing 200 left-handed batsmen!
England were routed for 134 in just under 60 overs giving India a massive 195-run lead in the first innings. The home team lost Shubman Gill but with no further damage ended the day at 54 for 1 with an overall lead of 249.
India are in the driver’s seat and with the wicket offering sharp and fast turn, especially with the new ball, India already have enough on the board. Apart from Ashwin and Axar with the ball, Pant was brilliant behind the stumps taking two diving catches.
In light of England’s poor performance with the bat, Rohit Sharma’s brilliant 161 on Day 1 assumes even greater significance. He scored 27 more than the whole England team put together. India should wrap up this match and level the series by end of Day 3 or in the first half on Day 4.
