Fourth Test: India 24/1 After Spinners Bowl England Out For 205

Ahmedabad: England managed a 200-plus total for the first time after five innings as they reached 205 on Day 1 of the fourth and final Test here at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday. India were 24 for one at the close of play.

Against India’s spin trio that sent down 70 per cent of the overs and took 80 per cent of the wickets, England’s batting heavy line-up faltered again after opting to bat as Axar Patel (4/68), Ravichandran Ashwin (3/47) and Washington Sundar (1/14) ran riot.

Only Ben Stokes (55) and Dan Lawrence (46) could put up a semblance of resistance as the visiting batsmen showed a lack of patience on a wicket that was spin-friendly but not as much as during the preceding two Tests.

England’s innings lasted for 75.5 overs, which was quite close to the 79.2 overs it lasted across two innings put together in the third Test.

Left-arm spinner Patel, who has taken a hat-trick of five-fors, once again took a wicket in his first over of the innings like he had done in the third Test. He removed Dom Sibley, having him bowled with an armer.

Brief scores: England 205 all out in 75.5 overs (Ben Stokes 55, D Lawrence 46, O Pope 29; Axar Patel 4/68, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/47, Washington Sundar 1/15) vs India 24/1 in 12 overs (Rohit Sharma batting 8, Cheteshwar Pujara batting 15; D Bess 1/4).

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