SK Play of the Day: R Ashwin's beauty removes Alastair Cook in the second innings of the Mohali Test
After having taken a lead of 134 runs in their first innings, India required a good start with the ball, in order to ensure that a result remained a possibility in the 3rd Test against England at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
They were denied two opportunities to dismiss skipper Alastair Cook, courtesy the Decision Review System, once getting it wrong while on the other occasion, the on-field call being overturned after replays suggested that the delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin had pitched outside the leg-stump.
However, Cook could not take full advantage of those reprieves as off the final ball of the 14th over, the off-spinner got one to pitch and turn and the sphere passed through Cook’s bat and pad to knock the top of the stumps.
It was a wonderful bit of bowling from the 30-year-old, who had been testing the left-hander constantly and received just reward for his efforts, removing the key wicket of the England captain,who could have caused the hosts some damage on a pitch that is not exactly turning square.
It must also be said that Cook made an error by playing down the wrong line and considering he is among the better players of spin in the present English line-up, he could have covered that delivery much better than he did.
This is the second time in this game that Ashwin has dismissed Cook and with four more innings to go in this series , he will hope to get the England captain in each of them.
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Earlier in the day, India were bowled out for 417, thanks to some handy lower-order contributions from Ravindra Jadeja, who made his career-best score of 90 in Tests and Ashwin once again put forth a useful score, making 72 runs.
Jayant Yadav, playing in only his second Test also came up with a good contribution, registering his maiden half-century, before being dismissed for 55.
Ben Stokes proved to be England’s most productive bowler, picking up a five-wicket haul while Adil Rashid took four wickets. In an overall innings spanning 138.2 overs, the visitors’ premier bowler James Anderson bowled a mere 21 overs, giving away 48 runs without taking a single scalp.