2nd Test: England choke India in web of spin, win by 10 wickets
England taught India a lesson or two about how to play spinners on a turning track and levelled the series 1-1 in Mumbai.
- Wisden India Staff
- Updated: November 26, 2012 07:03 PM IST
After the third day's play, the most fervent Indian supporters clung to the hope that there would be a repeat of the chaos that saw Australia lose their way in pursuit of 107 here in November 2004. Instead, England wrapped up the game and tied the series with 35 minutes still left in the opening session on the fourth day. Set a mere 57 to win, they romped home in 9.4 overs, leaving the smattering of Barmy Army fans in the stands all day to soak up one of the great Test match wins.
Scorecard
India's tail-end resistance lasted 11.1 overs in the morning. Harbhajan Singh was the first to go, edging behind after being undone by extra bounce from Graeme Swann. Zaheer Khan then gave Monty Panesar an 11th wicket for the match with a big heave that looped up off the top edge for Matt Prior to catch at short square leg.
Pragyan Ojha, who should have been given out caught at short leg off Swann - Aleem Dar didn't have his best match - stuck around long enough to thump one down the ground for four, but there would be no carried-the-bat accolade for Gautam Gambhir, adjudged leg before wicket by Tony Hill after he had inside-edged a Swann delivery on to the pad.
England's pursuit started with four byes past MS Dhoni, and both openers were happy to have a swing or two in the face of such a modest target. Nick Compton, whose batting had been dour and defensive in the Tests so far, was far more relaxed, walloping Ojha for four and six down the ground and reverse-sweeping R Ashwin for four.
A square cut for four and then four leg-side byes off Ashwin clinched it, and Compton, who finished unbeaten on 30, and Cook, 18 not out, uprooted stumps as souvenirs to mark a famous English victory. Down and out in Ahmedabad, and hampered by the loss of the toss here, this was truly a Lazarus act.