By Ravichandran Ashwin’s 36th five-wicket haul in Tests (5-77) spearheaded India’s dominant bowling performance on the third day of the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala, leading the hosts to a resounding victory by an innings and 64 runs. Ashwin’s exceptional performance also marked his 100th Test appearance, making him only the fourth bowler in history to achieve a fifer in this milestone match. His efforts, along with Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliance on day one (5-72), laid the foundation for India’s commanding win.
In the second innings, England’s Joe Root (84) stood firm amidst a crumbling batting lineup, showcasing his skill and determination. However, the rest of the England batters struggled against the guile of Ashwin and the accuracy of other Indian bowlers. Tom Hartley provided some support to Root but was dismissed by a brilliant delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Shoaib Bashir tried to build a partnership with Root but fell to Ravindra Jadeja. Root eventually perished while trying to accelerate, leaving England short of partners and giving India a comprehensive victory.
Earlier in the match, Kuldeep’s mesmerizing spell had put England on the back foot in the first innings. Despite Zak Crawley’s efforts (79), England lost wickets in quick succession, crumbling to Kuldeep’s spin. Ashwin capitalized on the situation, taking four wickets to restrict England to a modest total. India’s batsmen then capitalized on the good batting conditions, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill scoring crucial runs. Rohit and Gill’s partnership of 171 runs demoralized the English bowlers, setting the stage for India’s dominant victory.
England’s bowlers struggled to contain the Indian batsmen, with Bashir being the only one to take wickets consistently, ending with a fifer. Despite some memorable moments, including James Anderson’s 700th Test wicket and Ben Stokes’ delivery to dismiss Sharma, England failed to match India’s intensity throughout the match. Overall, India’s clinical performance and strong team effort sealed a convincing win, highlighting their dominance in the series.
Brief scores: England 218 and 195 (Joe Root 84; Ravichandran Ashwin 5-77) lost to India 477 (Shubman Gill 110, Rohit Sharma 103, Devdutt Padikkal 65; Shoaib Bashir 5-173) by an innings and 64 runs
