Ashwin delays India’s Kolkata humiliation
Hosts face defeat after top-order collapse.
An unbeaten 83 by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin delayed England’s win in the third Test after the home side’s batting failure in the second-innings all but wrapped up the match yesterday.
After dismissing England for 523, India started well and raced to 86 without losing a wicket by lunch. However, the first ball after the break accounted for Virendar Sehwag, missing a Graeme Swann off-spinner. This sparked a collapse in which India lost the next five wickets for just 36 runs.
Ashwin’s impressive knock, featuring an unbroken partnership of 42 with Pragyan Ojha, enabled the hosts to avoid an innings-defeat and they now lead by 32 runs with one wicket as they go into the last day of the Test today.
Earlier, England failed to capitalise on their previous day’s 509 for six and managed to add only 14 more runs before their last four wickets fell in quick succession. But their spirited bowling ensured an early dismissal of Indian batsmen and now with the hosts down to their last wicket, victory for the tourists seems inevitable.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2012.