NEW DELHI: India outshone England in the fifth Test at the HPCA stadium, Dharmsala. The win made the series score 4-1. On Saturday, India impressively beat the visiting team by an innings and 64 runs.
Ravichandran Ashwin stood out, achieving something that only Muttiah Muralidaran, Shane Warne, and Anil Kumble have: five wickets in his 100th Test. His 5 for 77 figures were key to defeating England's batsmen. Jasprit Bumrah (2 for 38), Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 40), and Ravindra Jadeja (1 for 25) backed him up.
Compared to England's 218, India scored 477, only four more than their score the day before. England's James Anderson's feat of reaching 700 Test wickets capped the brief Indian inning, which took less than 20 minutes.
Even with Indian captain Rohit Sharma absent due to back stiffness, the Indian team held strong. Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah took the helm and shared ball duty with Ashwin. Ashwin quickly dismissed Ben Duckett (2) and Zak Crawley for zero. Ollie Pope's swept ball landed in Yashasvi Jaiswal's grasp, pushing England to a precarious 36-3.
An impressive 56-run partnership came from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root. But, Yadav's delivery pinned Bairstow, triggering a downturn. Ashwin's brilliance resumed, dismissing Ben Stokes for two and Ben Foakes. Bumrah's matchless yorkers dismissed Tom Hartley and Mark Wood, further dampening English hopes.
Root led the English lower order in a brave fightback, aided by Shoaib Bashir in a 48-run stand for the ninth wicket. Yet, their partnership came to an end with Jadeja's game-changing play. Root, making a commendable 84, was last to walk off the field, snared at long-off by Bumrah due to Kuldeep's strategic bowling.
India's win highlighted their team's depth, featuring contributions from both veteran and rising stars. Ashwin achieved a career milestone in his 100th Test, putting a cherry on top of India's convincing victory. This success further establishes India's place as a dominant force in international cricket.
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