- Thursday, May 01, 2025
The Three Lions were hammered by the hosts by an innings and 64 runs in the match in Dharamsala.
By: Shubham Ghosh
ENGLAND came up with a lackadaisical show in the academic fifth and final Test match against India in Dharamsala as they were hammered by the hosts by an innings and 64 runs and conceded the series 1-4 despite winning the first match.
However, amid the ruins, the Three Lions’ top story remained James Anderson who became the first-ever seamer in the history of the game to reach 700 wickets in the long format. The 41-year-old achieved the feat at the fag end of the series when he dismissed India’s Kuldeep Yadav who was caught behind by wicket-keeper Ben Foakes.
Anderson, who now trails legendary spinners Muttiah Muralidharan of Sri Lanka (800 wickets) and the late Shane Warne of Australia (708 wickets), has entered the elite club in his 187th match and in a career which has now lasted for more than two decades.
Read: Two assassinations, riots & an industrial disaster: England’s turbulent 1984 cricket tour of India
The veteran bowler raised the ball to the crowd against the backdrop of the Himalayas as his teammates huddled around him and England fans stood up to cheer.
Barring Anderson’s feat, the visitors had little to be proud about as they failed to impress in their second innings after conceding a mammoth lead of 259 runs in the first. They lost half their side for only 103 by the time the lunch was taken on Day 3 on Saturday (9) at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium and it was a matter of time for the hosts to complete the formalities. England were all out for 195 in their second essay after India scored 477 in their first innings, thanks to centuries from captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
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Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who made his 100th Test appearance in the match, made it memorable by picking five wickets in the second innings to decimate the England batting order. The 37-year-old completed 500 wickets in this series and finished as the top wicket taker with 26 scalps. He plundered nine wickets in the game in Dharamsala.
England’s Jonny Bairstow also played his 100th Test in the same game but failed to break the shackles. He scored a quickfire 39 off 31 balls in a counterattack against the Indian spinners but fell against Kuldeep Yadav, who picked a five-fer in the first innings when England were all out for 218.
Sharma did not take the field on the third day due to a “stiff back”, and the side was led by vice captain Jasprit Bumrah.
England’s other good performance came from young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who made his international debut in this series, as he picked his maiden five-wicket haul.
Brief scores: England 218 & 195 lost to India 477 by an innings and 64 runs
