Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tore through England’s lower order Monday as the hosts won the fourth Test in Mumbai by an innings and 36 runs, clinching the series 3-0.
England started the final day at the Wankhede Stadium trailing by 49 runs with four wickets remaining and required something extraordinary to avoid defeat.
But India took just half-an-hour to send them packing as deadly off-spinner Ashwin grabbed all four wickets, taking his match haul to 12.
Ashwin first dispatched Jonny Bairstow, who could only add one run to his overnight half-century, before clean-bowling Chris Woakes for nought.
Adil Rashid was then caught in the deep by Lokesh Rahul for two, off Ashwin’s bowling, to put England at 193 with just one wicket remaining.
James Anderson was then caught to become Ashwin’s sixth victim of the innings as England were all out for 195, failing to make India bat again.
England posted 400 in their first innings before India put on a massive 631, including a Virat Kohli double century and tons for Murali Vijay and Jayant Yadav.
Captain Kohli struck 235 runs for his third double century of the year, while Yadav’s 104 marked his maiden Test hundred.
England were already up against it going into the second innings and they slumped to 182-6 by the end of day four.
Opener Keaton Jennings was out for a golden duck while captain Alastair Cook could only make 18 as England’s batsman failed to cope with India’s spin attack.
Ashwin finished with figures of 6-55 while Ravindra Jadeja grabbed 2-63 as Kohli’s side humbled the visitors to win the series with a match to spare.
The fifth Test, which will be a dead rubber, starts in Chennai later this week. (AFP)
