England’s dream of a Dharamshala decider was dashed despite a defiant bowling display as India overcame a top-order wobble to get over the line in Ranchi and guarantee a Test series win.
Joe Root and Tom Hartley winkled out Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma respectively after an 84-run opening stand before Shoaib Bashir’s three-wicket haul left India on 120 for five in pursuit of 192.
On a turning pitch with uneven bounce, a daring heist was on but an unbroken 72 from Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel got India home by five wickets to hand England a first series loss in the ‘Bazball’ era.
The tourists will ultimately rue disintegrating from 110 for three to 145 all out which left India with a target below 200, with Rohit’s side advancing to 40 without loss in eight overs the previous evening.
India failed to chase 231 in Hyderabad and the dismissals of Jaiswal, the standout batter of the series, for 37 and Rohit for 55 led to a middle-order wobble which seemed instructive when Bashir snared Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan with successive deliveries just after lunch on day four.
But Gill held his nerve expertly to anchor the chase, finishing on an unbeaten 52, while Jurel followed up his first-innings 90 in just his second Test with an instrumental 39 not out as India went 3-1 up in the five-match series.
