The local boy Axar Patel took four wickets as India bowled out England for just 205 runs in the first innings of the fourth Test after they chose to bat first in the morning. Patel, who has now taken 22 wickets in the series, is feeling like Test Cricket is a breeze. In the five innings of his career, thus far, the Gujarat-lad has taken three five-wicket hauls and finished with figures of 4/68 on Thursday.
England skipper Joe Root won the toss and chose to bat first on a drier surface that had a little more pace and help for the faster bowlers. However, they didn’t have a favourable start as after a slow first five overs, Patel drew the first blood going through Dom Sibley’s gate.
It didn’t take him and Indian to get the second breakthrough as Zak Crawley went one too many trying to throw Patel out of the attack. Skipper Root and Jonny Bairstow halted the downfall of wickets for a little while before pacer Mohammed Siraj got the former trapped in front of the wickets.
Thereafter, the pair of Bairstow and Ben Stokes helped England get through lunch without any more casualties. However, the post-lunch session had more problems in store for them as they lost Bairstow, a few minutes into the second session.
Stokes continued his merry run as he notched-up his half-century, as he along with Ollie Pope took their team’s score past 120. But, it was a tame end for Stokes as was dismissed by Washington Sundar LBW. Dan Lawrence, coming at No 7 took over from Stokes as he played his shots from the outset.
Pope and Lawrence got England past 150 and were looking threatening. But, it was Ashwin’s turn to add to his wickets column. He removed Pope and Ben Foakes in quick succession to reduce England to 170-7. Lawrence continued to score runs and add some respectability to England’s total.
Patel though had other ideas. He came back and removed Lawrence and off-spinner Dom Bess in the same over. After which, it was just formalities as India bowled out England for just 205.
