Chennai: Left-arm spinner Axar Patel became the sixth Indian spinner to pick a fifer on his Test debut when he trapped Olly Stone leg before the wicket in his second over after the lunch-break on Day four of the second Test at Chennai. Patel had picked the all-important wicket of England captain Joe Root in his first over after lunch. Others Indian spinners to achieve this feet are VV Kumar (1961), Dilip Doshi (1979), Narendra Hirwani (1988), Amit Mishra (2008) and R Ashwin (2011).
Earlier in the morning session, Ravichandran Ashwin scalped two while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav picked a wicket each as England was reduced to 116/7 on the fourth day of the second Test here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday.
At the lunch break, England's score reads 116/7 with Joe Root unbeaten on 33 runs. The first session saw four wickets falling and 63 runs being scored from 29.3 overs. India now requires just three wickets to level the four-match series. If Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel stole the show in the early hours of the play on day four, Kuldeep Yadav hogged the limelight when he dismissed Ben Foakes just before the concluding minutes of the first session.
England lost four wickets in the first session on day four but Root stood tall and has weathered the storm in the first session. The visitors resumed from their overnight score of 53/3 needing another 429 runs to win. Ishant began the proceedings for the hosts with the ball giving just three runs off his over.
England survived six overs before Ravichandran Ashwin struck with his first ball on day four. Ashwin fired the ball down the leg side on seeing Dan Lawrence step out and Rishabh Pant pulled off a brilliant stumping.
Ben Stokes then along with skipper Joe Root played some cautious shots to rebuild the England innings. The partnership survived for 12 overs as Ashwin dismissed the all-rounder in the 37th over.
Stokes departed after scoring eight runs off 51 balls as England lost half their side for 90 runs in the second innings.
Ollie Pope stitched a 20-run stand with Root to take England over the 100-run mark before he top-edged on the sweep and was caught by Ishant Sharma.
Earlier, Ashwin's scintillating century helped India set England a target of 482 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. Ashwin played a knock of 106 runs before the hosts were bowled out for 286 in the final session of day three.
After losing openers early on Monday, England sent Jack Leach as nightwatchman but that move did not work. Leach was sent back to the pavilion on a single ball duck by Patel. Root and Lawrence played cautiously and made sure that the side did not suffer any hiccup on the day.
In the final session on day three, 31.5 overs were bowled as both the teams together scored 118 runs with a loss of five wickets.
Brief scores: England 134 and 113/6 (Joe Root 32*, Dan Lawrence 26; Axar Patel 3-41 ); India 329 and 286.
