[Watch] Ben Stokes bamboozled by a beauty from Ravichandran Ashwin during Day 3 of India vs England 1st Test
England skipper Ben Stokes was left frustrated as he faced a brilliant delivery from veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during the second session of the ongoing Test between the two countries in Hyderabad on Saturday (January 27).
Stokes seemed committed to blocking almost every delivery and eventually had to pay the price as one from Ashwin pitched and spun past his outside edge to clip the off-stump.
Replays suggested that Ben Stokes might have played a bit inside the line of the ball and could have perhaps driven the delivery by smothering the spin. Nevertheless, it was a typical off-spinner's dismissal for Ravichandran Ashwin, who was thrilled to get the big wicket.
Here's the dismissal followed by Stokes' reaction:
It was an important wicket for Ashwin as he hadn't quite found the right length in the first session on Day 3. The veteran is expected to lead India's charge by spin and has set high standards for himself over the past decade and more.
Ravichandran Ashwin's strike caps off excellent session for India
India had some questions to answer as they headed for lunch after a fantastic opening session for England. The visitors ensured that they picked up the remaining three Indian wickets quickly and didn't let the lead cross the 200-run mark.
Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley then came out to bat with a clear plan of taking the game to the opposition in typical 'Bazball' fashion. Ravichandran Ashwin did dismiss Crawley, but both he and Axar Patel seemed rattled by England's counterattack.
Jasprit Bumrah's magical spell in the afternoon session produced the big wickets of Ben Duckett and Joe Root and Ravindra Jadeja then struck by sending back Jonny Bairstow. Ben Stokes' scalp will give Ashwin a lot of confidence and he will look to ride on that momentum in the third session.
England still have Ollie Pope well set and will be hopeful that wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and the bowlers help their vice-captain with a few crucial partnerships.