VISAKHAPATNAM // England openers Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed made India’s bowlers toil without success for 50 overs on Sunday but their lack of intent to score runs made the team’s survival even more difficult, the hosts’ captain Virat Kohli said.
Chasing an improbable 405 to win the second Test, Cook and Hameed added 75 for the first wicket but both fell before the close on Day 4.
The touring side were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day to lose by 246 runs, all 10 of their second-innings wickets going down for 83 runs. The victory was India’s second-biggest against England by runs, after they won by 279 runs at Leeds 30 years ago.
“We thought they are going to come out with more intent, to be very honest,” Kohli said on Monday after his side went 1-0 up in the five-match series. “And to see the approach they had obviously gave us assurance that once we get a couple of wickets, it’s going to crumble very quickly.”
Batting fourth after losing the toss was always going to be a difficult task for England with the wicket offering vicious turn and uneven bounce at a venue hosting its first Test.
Kohli was adjudged Man of the Match for his 167 in India’s first innings and 81 in the second.
“There wasn’t much intent from the [England] batters and on that kind of wicket, the question you asked about my batting, the plan was to have intent,” he said.
“Only if you have intent then you can defend the ball properly because you are looking to play it with the bat. If you do not have intent then obviously if it [the ball] does something then you are in no position to control it.
“If you are looking for runs you defend better as well because your head is on the ball. It’s a pretty basic thing to do to be honest and if you don’t, it’s very difficult in the fourth innings to play out four and half sessions.”
Kohli said the performance of his pace bowlers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, who gave India crucial breakthroughs, and debutant off-spinner Jayant Yadav were the biggest positives for his side.
Shami took two wickets in England’s second innings. Jayant, 26, who replaced leg-spinner Amit Mishra, picked up four wickets in the match – including three in the second innings – and played two important knocks of 35 and an unbeaten 27.
“To start of like that, one wicket in the first innings, three in the second, brilliant with the bat, showed great character,” Kohli said at the presentation ceremony. “Stuck it out in the end as well, Shami and him added about 45 for the last wicket. It’s always priceless, those contributions.”
India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers, though, having finished with a match-haul of eight wickets.
Ashwin, the leading Test wicket-taker this year, once again turned on the heat against the English batsmen who resumed their chase at 87 for two but lost their last eight wickets for just 71 runs.
The off-spinner, who picked up his 22nd five-wicket haul in first innings, captured the first wicket of the day by having Ben Duckett caught behind for nought, ending the batsman’s brief, 16-ball stay at the crease.
England’s Moeen Ali did not last long after the batsman looped up a simple catch to fine leg off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for just two runs.
Jayant got the important wicket of Ben Stokes, top-scorer with 70 in England’s first innings, for six.
Root, who was dropped on one by Kohli at leg slip off Ashwin, provided some resistance until fast bowler Shami had him lbw for 25.
Root reviewed the decision but TV replays suggested the ball would have hit the leg-stump, upholding the onfield call.
The hosts had reclaimed the advantage on the fourth day after Jadeja trapped England captain Alastair Cook lbw for 54 on what turned out to be the last ball of the day.
After conceding a 200-run deficit in the first innings, England will take heart from their spirited bowling second time around.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad and leg-spinner Adil Rashid claimed four wickets each to dismiss India for 204.
For India, Kohli scored a sparkling 167 in the first innings followed by a gritty 81 in the second knock.
The action now shifts to Mohali for the third Test starting Saturday.
Series schedule
• First Test Match drawn at Rajkot
• Second Test India win by 246 runs at Visakhapatnam
• Third Test Saturday-November 30, Mohali
• Fourth Test December 8-12, Mumbai
• Fifth Test December 16-20, Chennai
• Three ODIs begin from January 15, 2017
• Three T20Is begin from January 26, 2017
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
