By England’s spinners, Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, wreaked havoc on Day 2 of the fourth Test in Ranchi, putting India in trouble. Despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s resistance, India struggled to cope with the spin duo’s relentless attack.
England started the day positively, with Ollie Robinson and Joe Root extending their partnership past 100 runs. Robinson, in particular, played aggressively to unsettle the Indian bowlers, eventually reaching his maiden Test fifty. However, Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership by dismissing Robinson, triggering a collapse in England’s tail.
Jadeja quickly wrapped up the innings, leaving Root unbeaten on 122 and England with a total of 353, a commendable effort after a shaky start on Day 1. England’s bowlers then struck early, with James Anderson removing Rohit Sharma cheaply.
Jaiswal, though, continued his impressive form, scoring fluently before and after lunch. However, Bashir’s strikes in the second session, dismissing Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, and Jadeja, swung the momentum in England’s favor.
Despite Jaiswal’s efforts, wickets fell at the other end, and his dismissal for 73 left India in a precarious position. Hartley further dented India’s hopes, dismissing Sarfaraz Khan and R Ashwin in quick succession.
Kuldeep Yadav and Dhruv Jurel offered resistance, but India ended the day at 219/7, still trailing by 134 runs. They will rely heavily on the duo to stage a fightback on the third day.
Brief scores: India 219/7 (Yashasvi Jaiswal 73, Shubman Gill 38; Shoaib Bashir 4/84) trail England 353 (Joe Root 122*; Ravindra Jadeja 4/67) by 134 runs
