Ravichandran Ashwin, India, Kevin Pietersen
Ravichandran Ashwin [Image Credits: BCCI]

Team India has taken a pole position in the ongoing Test against England at the Chepauk after the Ravichandran Ashwin-led bowling attack shot the visitors out for 134 to take a 195-run-lead after the culmination of the first innings. And, at stumps, the Men in Blue had extended the lead to 249 runs.

Starting the day at 6/300, India were dealt with a dual body-blow in the very first over as Moeen Ali got rid of both Axar Patel and Ishant Sharma.

While Axar Patel was stumped brilliantly by Ben Foakes, Ishant Sharma fell in a rather tame manner after he ended up top-edging a premeditated sweep shot.

With not much batting to follow, Rishabh Pant decided to get as many runs as possible by playing his shots. He smashed Moeen Ali for Joe Root for a couple of fours and sixes to bring up his 4th half-century in his last six Test innings.

However, his innings was cut short as Olly Stone knocked over both Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj in his very first over of the day to fold India for 329.

India, England, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ben Stokes, India, Dinesh Karthik
Ravichandran Ashwin and his teammates appeal [Image Credits: BCCI]
With conditions tailor-made for spinners, it was always going to be tough for England batsmen and the same was testified when they lost four top-order wickets including the prized scalp of their skipper Joe Root in the 18 overs that were bowled before Lunch.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start as Ishant Sharma trapped Rory Burns LBW on the 3rd ball of the innings. Post that, it was the trial by spin of the highest order as Ashwin and Axar created a web around the visitors

Dom Sibley fell to Ashwin after he edged an attempted to sweep to Virat Kohli at leg-slip, as did skipper Joe Root, who top-edged the sweep to short fine-leg to give Axar his maiden Test wicket.

India, England, Dinesh Karthik,
Axar Patel dismissed Joe Root [Image Credit: BCCI]
Ashwin then proceeded to end Dan Lawrence’s painful stay at the crease on what turned out to be the final ball of the morning session. The champion off-spinner played mind games against Lawrence as he made him wait and wait and wait for the final delivery of the session and then got one to spit off the surface, leading to the youngster giving a simple catch to Shubman Gill at short leg.

Ashwin continued to weave his magic after the break as he bamboozled Ben Stones with an overpitched delivery to Stokes in the 24th over of the England innings. On first thought, one would have imagined that Stokes missed out on a potential drive but this is what Ravichandran Ashwin does with his drift.

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Stokes proceeded to play all around it and eventually saw his stumps knocked over, leaving England in dire-straits at 5/52. Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes looked like getting England out of a hole during their 35-run-stand before a one-handed stunner by Rishabh Pant off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj brought about the downfall of the former.

Then at the stroke of the Tea break, Axar Patel and Ashwin dismissed Moeen Ali (brilliantly caught by Rahane at 1st slip) and Olly Stone- who chipped one straight to Rohit Sharma at midwicket- to reduce England to 8/106.

India vs England 2021: Twitter Reacts As Team India Takes A Pole Position In The 2nd Test

Rishabh Pant claimed yet another one-handed stunner after the Tea break to dismiss Jack Leach while Ravichandran Ashwin knocked over Stuart Broad to claim his 29th five-wicket haul and finish off England’s first innings at 134.

India got off to a brisk start in its second innings with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill accumulating 42 runs in just 11.2 overs before Jack Leach got England the first scalp when he trapped Gill right in front of the wicket. Rohit Sharma survived a couple of chances at the fag end of the day- once when Ben Foakes missed a stumping off Moeen Ali and secondly when the third umpire did not take into consideration that Rohit had not offered a shot after he was struck on his pads.

Nevertheless, Rohit and Pujara ensured that India did not lose any more wickets, finishing the day at 1/54 and with an overall lead of 249.

 

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/LongyWTID/status/1360845394020888576?s=19

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