CHENNAI, (Reuters) – Ravindra Jadeja ripped the heart out of England’s batting order to bowl India to a thumping innings and 75-run victory in the fifth and final test yesterday.
The left-arm spinner claimed seven of the 10 English wickets that tumbled in the final two sessions as India completed an emphatic 4-0 series win.
The touring side needed to bat out the final day to secure a consolation draw and Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings defended resolutely through the morning to boost their chances.
Cook did look ill at ease against spin and got a life on four when he lunged forward to edge Ravichandran Ashwin but the ball popped out of wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel’s gloves.
Jennings played more confidently although he was nearly caught by Lokesh Rahul at short leg off Amit Mishra when on 31.
Jadeja returned after lunch to turn the match on its head.
The all-rounder has haunted Cook since the tourists landed in India and he dismissed the England captain for the sixth time in the series by getting him caught at leg slip.
It was a poor shot from Cook who edged a leg-side delivery to Rahul to depart for 49.
Jennings followed up his debut century in the previous test in Mumbai with a 50 but offered a tame return catch to Jadeja after making 54.
“We understood that once we got a couple of wickets, it’s going to be a downslide pretty quick (for England),” India captain Virat Kohli, who was adjudged man-of-the-series for his 655 runs, said at the presentation ceremony.
“Jadeja coming and doing the job in both the innings….hitting the right areas and making it uncomfortable for the batsmen, it was great to watch,” Kohli said.
ROOT FAILURE
England’s batting mainstay Joe Root could only manage six runs before he was hit on the pad by a fuller delivery from Jadeja.
India’s lbw appeal was turned down and Kohli took his time before deciding to review the decision, which was overturned after replays suggested the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Jadeja then sprinted backwards to take a brilliant running catch to dismiss Jonny Bairstow off the bowling of paceman Ishant Sharma.
Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes looked determined to bat through but Jadeja removed both batsmen after tea to spark an English collapse.
Moeen was guilty of throwing his wicket away with a loose shot after making 44 and Stokes chipped a catch to mid-wicket to depart for 23.
Jadeja claimed the last two wickets to finish with a career-best 7-48 as England, 97 for no loss at lunch, lost their last six wickets for 15 runs and folded barely half an hour before the scheduled close.
“No excuses, India were the better team here and deserved to win,” Cook said.
“It was a very good fifth day wicket…we got ourselves into a good position at lunch to save the game but we were not good enough to bat the rest of the time out.”
India pushes unbeaten streak to 18
Yesterday’s victory over India pushed India’s unbeaten streak to 18 surpassing their previous longest streak of 17 matches without a defeat.
The West Indies has the longest streak without a test defeat, 27 test matches with England close behind on 26.
Following is a list of the most consecutive test matches without a defeat after India’s victory yesterday.
Team Tests From To Wins Draws Win %
WI 27 Jan 1982 Dec 1984 17 10 62.96
Eng 26 Jun 1968 Aug 1971 9 17 34.62
Aus 25 Mar 1946 Feb 1951 20 5 80.00
Aus 22 Sep 2005 Jan 2008 20 2 90.91
Eng 18 Feb 1959 Jun 1961 10 8 55.56
Aus 18 Sep 1999 Mar 2001 16 2 88.89
Ind 18 Aug 2015 present 14 4 77.78
(Note) Eng –England, Aus – Australia and Ind- India
* 759/7 was the seventh-highest Test innings of all time
* It is India’s highest Test score
* It is the most runs conceded by England in a test innings
* Karun Nair is the third player to convert their first Test hundred into a triple ton
* Nair is also the fourth Test batsman to score a triple century batting at No.5 (after Sir Don Bradman, Michael Clarke and Brendon McCullum)
