AFP, Mumbai :
Virat Kohli hailed India’s series win over England as his “sweetest” as captain on Monday after the hosts humiliated the tourists by an innings and 36 runs in the fourth Test.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tore through England’s lacklustre lower order in just half-an-hour in Mumbai as India clinched the five-match series 3-0 with a game to spare and equalled their longest unbeaten run.
England started the final day at the Wankhede Stadium trailing by 49 runs with four wickets remaining, and needing something extraordinary to avoid defeat.
But Ashwin grabbed all four wickets to send England crashing to 195 all out and finish with figures of 6-55 in the innings, and 12 scalps in the match.
Skipper Virat Kohli was named man of the match for his brilliant double century in a win that confirms India as Test cricket’s top side and avenges their two consecutive series defeats to England.
“This series win is probably the sweetest we have had in the last 14-15 months,” said Kohli, who took over from Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Test captain last year.
India have now won five straight series under Kohli, who struck his third double century of the year, and are unbeaten in 17 Tests, which equals their best-ever run which was set back in 1987.
England captain Alastair Cook paid tribute to Kohli’s batting, saying his Indian counterpart had led from the front and was in the form of his life.”Clearly (he is) one of the greatest batsmen of our generation,” said Cook, the highest scorer among current Test players.- ‘Bit of a sour end’ –
Cook, who has hinted he may step down after the series, also admitted it was a mistake to pick only two specialist spinners in Mumbai’s spin-friendly conditions.
“We would have liked another spinner but we had the opportunity to bowl India out for 400 and we did not take them,” said Cook.
Ashwin first dispatched Jonny Bairstow, who could only add one run to his overnight half-century, before clean-bowling Chris Woakes for nought.
Adil Rashid followed, caught in the deep by Lokesh Rahul for two, off Ashwin’s bowling, to put England at 193 with just one wicket remaining.
Emotions then threatened to boil over as Ashwin approached and exchanged words with James Anderson as he came into bat. He walked with him down the crease, forcing the umpire to intervene.
“It was clearly reference to what Jimmy had said yesterday which got blown out of all proportion,” said Cook, referring to Anderson’s comments that Kohli had some “technical deficiencies” in his game.
“It was a bit of a sour end really, a bit disappointing in terms of how well the spirit between both sides had been,” he added.
Kohli, who is known for his feisty demeanour on the field, joked that “for the first time I was trying to calm down things down”.
