New Bazball, same England: Tourists throw away India advantage with classic Pommy collapse

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Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav have taken seven wickets between them to cap a stunning turnaround for India on day three of the fourth Test against England.

Ashwin took 5-51 in 15.5 overs, while Yadav returned 4-22 in 15 overs, as England were bowled out for just 145 off 53.5 overs in their second innings on Sunday.

The paltry total left India a 192-run target to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

They reached 0-40 from eight overs at stumps on day three, with Rohit Sharma (24no) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16no) at the crease and a further 152 needed.

England’s second innings lasted less than two sessions as Ashwin picked up his 35th five-wicket haul in Tests.

The off-spinner started the rout with the new ball after lunch. His first victim was Ben Duckett, caught at short leg for 15.

Ashwin was soon on a hat-trick after he trapped Ollie Pope lbw for a golden duck. Joe Root denied him the feat, but was out lbw to Ashwin in the 17th over for 11.

Root, who had scored 122no in the first innings, helped put on 46 runs for the third wicket with Zak Crawley. His dismissal was the turning point for England in its hopes for a 200-plus run target.

Crawley scored 60 off 91 balls, with seven fours, and pushed England past the 100-run mark. Yadav bowled him in the 29th over, and followed it up with Ben Stokes’s wicket.

England added 25 runs in 20.5 overs for the loss of five wickets after tea. India are 29 without loss after four overs of the chase.

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) February 25, 2024

Stokes was out for four, as the ball kept low and turned into his stumps off the pads. England was showing signs of strain and went to tea at 120-5.

They were 6-120 after the first ball of the last session, as Jonny Bairstow (30) chipped Ravindra Jadeja (1-56) straight to cover.

Ashwin and Yadav made quick work of the lower order, though Ben Foakes (17) tried to resist.

Tom Hartley was out caught for seven off Yadav, who also trapped Ollie Robinson lbw for a three-ball duck.

Ashwin accounted for both Foakes and James Anderson to script a stunning turnaround for India, following Dhruv Jurel’s 90-run knock in the morning session.

With India resuming from an overnight 7-219, Jurel scored his maiden half-century as India finished within 46 runs of England’s first-innings total.

Jurel superbly marshalled the lower order as India was bowled out for 307 runs in reply to England’s 353.

Offspinner Shoaib Bashir took 5-119 in 44 overs, his maiden five-wicket haul, while Tom Hartley finished with 3-68 as the English spinners gave the tourists a slender lead on a progressively worsening pitch with variable low bounce.

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