England pacer James Anderson’s astonishing spell on a spinning track paved the visitors’ dominant win against India in Chennai. He bowled 11 overs and scalped 3 crucial wickets, including Ajinkya Rahane’s duck. England defeated the home team by 227 runs to take a lead 1-0 in the 4 match series.
Indian batters looked clueless against Jack Leach, who picked 4 wickets in the second innings.
England win the first @Paytm #INDvENG Test!#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second Test.
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/VJF6Q62aTS pic.twitter.com/E6LsdsO5Cz
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2021
It was a perfect day for England despite India skipper Virat Kohli showing resilience in the second innings. The England bowlers dominated the hosts right from the start of the final day.
Shubman Gill showed a glimmer of hope but that was short-lived as James Anderson dismantled top order dismissing Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rishabh Pant. The opener scored another half-century in the longer format of the game.
Also read: Uttarakhand Glacier Burst LIVE Updates | Death Toll Rises To 28, Rescue Operation Underway
With this win, England has taken a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series. If Dom Bess stole the show for England in the first innings, it was Jack Leach and Anderson’s combined performance that hogged the limelight for the visitors in the second essay. The win over India in the first Test has also propelled England to the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings.
Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman hailed the impact of the England pacer.
“Take a bow @jimmy9. GOAT. Period!! #INDvENG,” tweeted Laxman. Anderson produced three of the best possible deliveries to dismiss Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, and Rishabh Pant on day five of the ongoing first Test to leave India reeling on Day 5.
Take a bow @jimmy9 GOAT. Period!! #INDvENG @StarSportsIndia pic.twitter.com/KOxqfY23n8
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 9, 2021
In the second session of the day, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin stitched an important 54-run stand before Leach broke the partnership as England required just three wickets to go 1-0 up in the series.
FIFTY!
Captain @imVkohli brings up a fluent half-century on Day 5 of the 1st Test.
Live – https://t.co/VJF6Q62aTS #INDvENG @Paytm pic.twitter.com/WgzIotMF37
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 9, 2021
Kohli registered his 24th half-century but Ben Stokes cleaned up the Indian skipper to leave hosts with no hope in the match.
After suffering a 227-run loss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli admitted that the body language and intensity of his side were not up to the mark in the first innings of the Chennai Test.
“I don’t think we put enough pressure on them with the ball in the first half. Collectively as a bowling unit, fast bowlers and Ash (Ashwin), were good in the first innings but we also needed to contain a few more runs and create pressure. Having said that, it was a slow wicket and not helping the bowlers which made it easy for the batsmen to rotate the strike and get into the game,” Kohli said after the match.