India crushed England by one inning and 25 runs to seal the series 3-1 and qualify for the WTC final.© BCCI
India defeated England by one inning and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test to win the four-game series 3-1 and seal a spot in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship on Saturday. Rishabh Pant (101) and Washington Sundar (96 not eliminated) set up the big win for India after the hosts had thrown visitors 205 in their first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel picked up five wickets in the second inning to help India knock England out 135.
India started Day 3 at 294 for seven, and Axar Patel along with Sundar continued to score freely in the first hour on Saturday.
The duo ran 106 runs for eighth before a confusion in the middle ended Axar’s tenure. He ran out of 43.
Ben Stokes then cleared Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj in four installments to leave Sundar stranded at 96 as England took the last three wickets in five installments to defeat India 365.
Stokes was the choice of England bowlers when he returned with figures of four for 89.
He was ably supported by James Anderson, who took three of 44, but his spinners disappointed on a surface that offered some spin and bounce.
At the second trial, the hosts went bowling with a healthy 160 lead.
England traded the final minutes before lunch without losing any ground, but Ravichandran Ashwin scooped two wickets into two balls to shake up the visitors in the post-lunch session.
Axar Patel soon joined the action, eliminating Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes in quick succession.
Promoted
Joe Root looked good during his short stint in the middle, but misjudged a long delivery from Ashwin and got caught in front of the stumps.
Both teams will now shift their focus to the shorter format of the game, as they will play five Twenty20 Internationals in the same venue, starting March 12.
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