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James Anderson’s 700th Test wicket provided scant consolation for England as they slumped to an innings and 64-run defeat against India in Dharamsala on day three of the fifth and final Test of the series.
Anderson became the first seam bowler in Test history and only the third player overall to reach the magical milestone when he had Kuldeep Yadav caught behind in the fourth over of the day, followed by Shoaib Bashir completing a five-for as India were dismissed for 477.
However, England were reduced to 102-5 at lunch in their second innings needing 259 just to make the home side bat again as Ravi Ashwin, making his 100th Test appearance, caused havoc among the tourists’ top and middle order.
The spinner would go on to take five wickets and finish with match figures of 9-128 as England were dismissed for 195 before tea, despite a half-century from Joe Root, to see India put the seal on a 4-1 series win.
Anderson makes history, but Ashwin dominates
Kuldeep and Jasprit Bumrah began the day aiming to build on their unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 45, but were only able to add four runs to the total before Anderson struck in the fourth over of the day.
The 41-year-old temped Kuldeep (30) into edging a slower outswinger to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, which saw the seamer join spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Shane Warne as only the bowlers to have taken 700 wickets in Test matches.
Bashir then wrapped up the innings by having Bumrah (20) stumped by Foakes, claiming the second five-wicket haul of his burgeoning Test career as the 20-year-old finished with figures of 5-173 from 46.1 overs.
Shoaib Bashir took a five-for and James Anderson recorded his 700th Test wicket
England were soon up against it with the bat though as Ashwin removed Ben Duckett for two in the second over of the innings when the left-hander was bowled after skipping down the track and playing and missing.
Ashwin accounted for both openers when Zak Crawley, the tourists’ top-scorer in the first innings, departed without troubling the scorer in the sixth over as an edge off bounced up off his pad into the hands of leg slip Sarfaraz Khan.
Ollie Pope then failed to make the most of a good start again as he top-edged a sweep off Ashwin to Yashavsi Jaiswal square of the wicket, but the Yorkshire duo of Root and Jonny Bairstow threatened to stage a revival as they put on a fourth-wicket stand of 56.
Bairstow in particular took the attack to India, cracking three sixes and three fours as he raced to 39 from 31 balls, only for his resistance to be broken when Kuldeep trapped him lbw in his first over, followed by Ashwin returning to bowl Ben Stokes, the 13th time he had dismissed the England captain in Test cricket, for just two in the final over before lunch.
Ben Stokes was bowled by Ravi Ashwin
England collapse to defeat despite Root’s 84
New batter Foakes (eight) became Ashwin’s fifth victim of the innings after he was clean-bowled as well five overs into the afternoon session, this time trying to sweep the spinner and missing.
Tom Hartley hit the first ball he faced for four but was eventually out for 20 when he was trapped lbw by Bumrah and new batter Mark Wood swiftly followed him two balls later after being dismissed in the same manner by a snorting yorker from the seamer.
Root was holding firm at the other end though and passed the half-century mark in the 37th over after flicking Bumrah to the leg-side boundary, but Bashir’s dismissal for 13 when he was bowled by Ravi Jadeja – initially considering a DRS review before realising what had happened – signalled the denouement.
It came in the 49th over when Root decided to take on Kuldeep and was caught on the long-on boundary by Bumrah, bringing about his demise for a spirited 84, which included 12 fours, and the end of a tour which had seen England fail to build on a stunning 28-run victory in the first Test.
Joe Root made a spirited 84 but it was not enough to help England avoid an innings defeat
What they said
England captain Ben Stokes on James Anderson reaching 700 wickets:
“I’ve been lucky to be on the field for some of the milestones Jimmy has got to, but being there for 700 wickets as a seamer was quite phenomenal.
“I’ve said many a time, he’s someone any young kid who wants to be a fast bowler should look up to and try to emulate everything he has done from the day he started being a cricketer, let alone being an international cricketer, to where he is now.
“He’s 41 years old, he’s as fit as I ever seen him, I honestly don’t know when he is going to stop. The desire, the commitment and everything is still there, and it’s great to watch.”
Shoaib Bashir’s displays in India were a big positive for England
Stokes on the positives for England from the five-match series:
“Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett continued their formidable partnership at the top and that’s only going to get stronger for us.
“Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir came in and showed what they are all about and we’ve found some real quality cricketers there for the future.
“Bash was sick as a dog at the start of this Test match and for him to put in that performance and come away with five wickets is great.”
What’s next?
England return home, with their next Test series being at home to the West Indies in July. Before then, they host Pakistan in a four-match T20I series in May followed by the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June. Watch it all live on Sky Sports and stream contract-free with NOW.
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