"This win is bigger than Gabba win in my book"- Fans rejoice as India level series with commanding 106-run win against England in 2nd Test
Team India beat England by 106 runs in the second Test on Monday (February 5) at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. With the win, the hosts leveled the five-match series 1-1. England had won the first Test in Hyderabad last month by 28 runs.
England commenced Day 4 at an overnight score of 67/1, needing 332 runs to win the second Test. Opener Zak Crawley (73) continued his fine form and hit a half-century to keep the scoreboard ticking. Middle-order batters got starts alongside him but could not convert them.
English batters' brisk scoring rate did not deter Indian bowlers as they picked up five wickets in the first session to put their side in the driver's seat. Ben Stokes got run out early in the second session, which dented England's hopes further.
Ben Foakes (36) and Tom Hartley (36) fought for a while, but it only delayed the inevitable. Jasprit Bumrah fittingly finished the formalities by dismissing both the batters, taking his tally to nine wickets in the match.
Fans were elated after India came back strongly after losing the first Test. Former cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Irfan Pathan, and others also reacted to the win along with fans soon after the match.
One fan even wrote:
"This win is bigger than Gabba win in my book."
Here's how cricketers and fans reacted to India's win:
"This win was quite pleasing, but the series is not over"- India captain Rohit Sharma after win vs England
Speaking at the post-match presentation, India skipper Rohit Sharma applauded his teammates for their collective performance. He also reserved special praise for Jasprit Bumrah and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who played starring roles in the victory. Reflecting on the win, Rohit said:
"Bumrah has done extremely well for us over the years. He is a champion player for us. But when you win such matches, you have to look at each and every player who has contributed. Yashasvi is a very good player, and he has a long way to go."
Rohit continued:
"He has just come into the team, and I hope he contributes for us. I hope he stays humble and focuses on his game. A lot of young batters did their best today and I think this win will give them a lot of confidence. Very proud of such a young squad to come up against a team like that. For us, this is a positive result. This win was quite pleasing, but the series is not over."
The third Test between the two teams will commence on February 15 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.