On the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal's maiden double century and Jasprit Bumrah's nine-wicket haul in the match, including six wickets in the first innings, India defeated England by 106 runs in the second Test in Visakhapatnam on February 5. As a result, India leveled the series 1-1 after losing the first Test in Hyderabad by 29 runs.
Chasing a daunting target of 399 runs, England's batters put on a spirited display with the bat and continued in their ‘Bazball’ mannerism. India kept on chipping away at the wickets column despite the Three Lions scoring runs briskly. In the end, England could only manage to score 292.
Five wickets tumble in the opening session of Day 4
England began Day 4 with a score of 67/1 on the board and, Zak Crawley and Rehan Ahmed began on a positive note by hitting boundaries on will. Rehan's stint at the crease ended when Axar Patel trapped him LBW, after contributing 23 runs to the team's total. England's batting lineup then experienced a rapid decline, dropping to 154/4 as both Ollie Pope and Joe Root were dismissed in close succession within a span of three overs.
Crawley's valiant effort of 73 runs held the innings together until a strategic review by India just before the lunch break led to his dismissal off Kuldeep Yadav.
Ravichandran Ashwin emerged as the destroyer of the English middle order, claiming three crucial wickets and edging closer to a monumental milestone of 500 Test wickets. Jasprit Bumrah complemented Ashwin's efforts with a stellar performance of his own, particularly shining in his second spell by taking down Jonny Bairstow with a pivotal review decision, prompting an early lunch break.
The pivotal morning session of Day 4 tipped the scales of the Test match in India's favour, with England reeling at 194/6 after 42.4 overs. England's hopes were pinned on Ben Stokes, who was yet to face a ball at the crease before lunch on Day 4.
Ben Stokes' brain-fade moment and Shreyas Iyer's brilliance
On the fourth day's post-lunch session, England's hopes of a remarkable chase suffered a colossal blow when captain Ben Stokes was run out in a crucial phase of the innings. The incident, a result of Stokes' lackluster and hesitant running between the wickets. This moment of lapse contrasted starkly with England's strategic approach post-lunch, marked by uncharacteristic caution. Stokes, in particular, adopted a defensive stance, accumulating just 11 runs from 29 deliveries, a departure from the aggressive cricket England is known for.
With Stokes back in the pavilion, England's reliance shifted to Ben Foakes, the team's last recognised batsman, to mount any form of counterattack. Foakes found an able partner in Tom Hartley as the duo kept frustrating the Indian bowlers by scoring runs briskly. Foakes and Hartley forged a 55-run partnership and just when it looked like pressure was mounting on Rohit Sharma and India, Jasprit Bumrah weaved his magic. A slower ball from Bumrah outfoxed Foakes, who walked back to the pavilion after scoring 36 runs. England still needed 124 runs to win the match at the time of Foakes' dismissal.
Post Foakes' dismissal it was only a matter of time before India wrapped up England's innings. Mukesh Kumar dismissed Shoaib Bashir before Bumrah struck Hartley's timber to close England's innings.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
WATCH: Tempers flare on intense Day 4 of Vizag Test as Ravichandran Ashwin gives verbal send-off to Jonny Bairstow; video goes viral
IND vs ENG: Big blow to India as star player to miss Day 4 of ongoing Vizag Test with injury, replacement fielder to take his place
