Day 3 Stumps: Ashwin’s 5 Wickets Sets 192-Run Target

India has positioned themselves strongly to clinch the series after a remarkable performance on day three of the fourth Test against England in Ranchi. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s five-wicket haul played a pivotal role as India bowled out England for a mere 145 runs in their second innings.

With a target of 192 runs to win, India finished the day at 40/0, with captain Rohit Sharma (24*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (16*) at the crease, looking composed and determined.

England began the final session at 120/5, with Jonny Bairstow (30*) and Ben Foakes (0*) resuming their innings. However, it was Ravindra Jadeja who struck early, dismissing Bairstow for 30. Kuldeep Yadav then capitalized on the momentum, swiftly removing Tom Hartley and Ollie Robinson. The experienced campaigner Ashwin then completed his five-wicket haul by claiming the wickets of Ben Foakes and James Anderson in the same over.

The spin duo of Ashwin (5/51) and Kuldeep Yadav (4/22) orchestrated England’s downfall, with Jadeja adding a wicket to the tally. All ten English wickets fell to the spinners, showcasing India’s dominance with the ball.

In response to England’s 145, India began their run-chase steadily, with openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal showing resilience and finishing the day without any loss.

Earlier in the match, Ashwin and Kuldeep had set the tone by rattling England’s batting lineup in the second session. At Tea, England were struggling at 120/5, with Bairstow (30) and Foakes (0) trying to stabilize the innings. However, Ashwin’s dismissals of Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in consecutive deliveries shifted the momentum back to India. Despite Zak Crawley’s brisk innings, where he scored a half-century, England lost crucial wickets.

Kuldeep Yadav further dented England’s hopes by dismissing the dangerous Crawley for 60 and then removing captain Ben Stokes for 4, leaving England reeling at 120/5 at Tea.

In their first innings, India posted 307 runs, trailing by 46 runs. Dhruv Jurel and Kuldeep Yadav’s partnership of 76 runs was crucial in India’s total. Jurel displayed a fine innings, scoring his first fifty but was eventually dismissed for 90 runs by Tom Hartley.

India’s innings saw contributions from various players, but Shoaib Bashir’s five-wicket haul for England kept India’s scoring rate in check.

As the match progresses, India now requires 152 more runs to secure victory against England’s total of 353 and 145 in their two innings respectively.

The fourth Test at Ranchi continues to provide thrilling cricket action, with India aiming to seal the series with a win.