Indian players celebrate as Shahbaz Nadeem takes a wicket on day four of the opening Test on Monday

CHENNAI (AFP): India (IND) lost Rohit Sharma in their chase of 420 after Ravichandran Ashwin took six wickets to dismiss England (ENG) for 178 on day four of the opening Test on Monday.

The hosts reached 39/1 at stumps after spinner Jack Leach bowled Sharma for 12 with a peach on a deteriorating Chennai pitch.

Shubman Gill (15*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (12*), were batting at the close with IND needing a further 381 runs to win the first of the four Tests.

On a dominant day for spinners, Ashwin claimed his 28th five-wicket haul in ENG's second innings.

The off-spinner sent back Rory Burns with the first ball of the innings and struck crucial blows, including removing the talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes for seven.

Skipper Joe Root top-scored with 40 off 32 deliveries. He hit 218 in the first innings of his 100th Test.

Root hit seven boundaries before being trapped LBW by speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Ollie Pope (28) and Dom Bess (25) also helped ENG build a big lead.

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem took two wickets and got wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler stumped for 24. Dan Lawrence (18) was Ishant Sharma's 300th Test wicket.

IND were bowled out for 337 in their first innings in the morning session, 42 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, despite Washington Sundar's unbeaten 85*.

ENG, who scored 578 in their first innings, decided against making the home side bat again.

Leach and legendary swing-bowler James Anderson took two wickets each in the morning session to pack off IND after the hosts started the day 257-6.

Sundar, who made his debut in the fourth Test of IND's historic win in Australia last month, put on 80 runs with overnight partner Ashwin, who made 31.

Ishant Sharma bags 300th  Test wicket