India beat England to level Test series at 1-1

Tuesday, 6 February 2024 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

England’s series with India is level at 1-1 after a target of 399 to win the second Test proved to be well beyond the tourists in Visakhapatnam.

Looking to complete a chase that would have broken a host of records, England were bowled out for 292 to lose by 106 runs on an anti-climactic fourth day.

England made a strong start and reached 95-1, but the promoted Rehan Ahmed was trapped leg before by Axar Patel to signal a regular fall of wickets.

Opener Zak Crawley looked to be England’s main hope, batting with grace for his 73. When he was given lbw to Kuldeep Yadav on review, the game slipped away.

Slim hope remained in the shape of Ben Stokes, only for the captain to be run out in wasteful fashion by a direct hit from Shreyas Iyer. At that point, with 179 required and only three wickets remaining, India could breathe easily.

Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley delayed India with a stand of 56, Hartley surviving two reviews that would have given Ravichandran Ashwin his 500th Test wicket.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was summoned and pouched a return catch off Foakes and when Shoaib Bashir was caught behind off Mukesh Kumar, Ashwin was given another shot at the milestone.

But Bumrah uprooted Hartley’s off stump to end with three in the innings and nine in the match, leaving Ashwin on 499 wickets going into the third Test in Rajkot on 15 February.