IND VS ENG - 3rd Test, England tour of India, 2021

Every kid in India dreams of scoring runs and picking wickets while growing up and playing in his backyard. And true to the narrative, a couple of them - Ravi Ashwin and Axar Patel - have made it come true in their respective backyards and how! Ashwin could do no wrong at the Chepauk and Axar at Ahmedabad was as relentless as a waterfall. Did India spin a web? No! They hypnotized England into believing that the spinning ball was more potent than the straighter one. The English batters kept playing for the spin only to miss the straighter ones at regular intervals. The challenge in the head outweighed the challenge that was presented on the 22 yards. Yes, it was a tough track but as Kohli summed it up both teams looked a little hurried for reasons unknown. The headline should have been - Pink Ball, Seam, Lights but it was a four letter word that made all the news. SPIN. India have half-a-ticket for Lord's and the other half awaits them. England have blown away their ticket despite the kickstart at the start of the tour. On that note, we have a ticket to buzz away as well. This is Kumar Abhisekh Das signing off in esteemed company of Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Raju Peethala, MS Ramakrishnan, Sagar Chawla and Mukesh.

Two-day finishes in Tests in Asia
Aus v Pak Sharjah 2002/03
Ind v Afg Bengaluru 2018
Ind v Eng Ahmedabad 2020/21 *
* winner denoted first

Virat Kohli (22 wins in 29 home Tests) surpasses MS Dhoni's 21 wins in 30 Tests to become the most successful captain in India.

Shortest Tests in post war era ending in a result (balls)
842 Ind v Eng Ahmedabad 2020/21 *
872 Aus v NZ Wellington 1945/46
883 Eng v SA Centurion 1999/00 +
893 Aus v Pak Sharjah 2002/03
* winner denoted first
+ two innings forfeited

Axar Patel, Man of the Match: When it happens, it feels so easy. I am not thinking much. I want to continue this form. I am happy that if I am not contributing with the bat, I am doing it with the ball. My strength is to bowl wicket-to-wicket and not give him room. The mindset of batters is they play out couple of maidens, they either go for a sweep or try to hit over the infield. They call me Wasim bhai (Wasim Akram) because they feel my arm ball is very lethal. Ajju Bhai (Ajinkya Rahane) called me that and Pant has picked it up. I would want this wicket to remain the same for the final Test as well as I am picking up wickets.

Virat Kohli: To be honest, I don't think the quality of batting was up to standards. We were 100 for 3 and then got bowled out for less than 150. It was just the odd ball turning and it was a good wicket to bat in the first innings. It was bizzare that 21 of the 30 wickets fell to straight balls, Test cricket is about trusting your defence. Lack of application ensured it was a quick finish. Bumrah said I am getting work load management while playing. Ishant said I am playing my 100th game and still don't get to bowl. I have never experienced this before. A bizzare game which got over in 2 days. A lot of people were relieved when Jaddu got injured. But then this guy ( Axar Patel) comes in. Bowls it quicker and from a bigger height as well. I don't know what is it with Gujarat and producing so many left arm spinners. You just cannot sweep this guy but you also can't keep defending as he would just keep bowling at you. If the wicket has something in it, Axar is very lethal. I think we need to stand up and take notice of what Ashwin has done. In Tests, he is a modern day legend. As a captain, I am so pleased he is in my team. We have to be ready for the hard grind. Few days extra off with a hectic schedule is welcoming.

Joe Root: We were 70 for 2. But we didn't really capitalize on it. 250 on that wicket would have made it different. We will come back using this hurt and come back as a better team. The plastic coating on the ball gathered pace off the wicket. It was high quality bowling as well. Both sides struggled on that wicket. We don't define ourselves on a performance like this. We shouldn't have any baggage from the previous games going into the last game. We have seen with the ball in hand, we can pick up wickets. I think it sums up the wicket, if I am getting a fifer. Congratulations to Ishant for 100 Tests and Ashwin for 400 Test wickets.

Ravi Ashwin - Pleasant experience (on reaching 400 Test wickets), good that it happened in a winning cause. It was nice to get the crowd on my back and applauding the effort. We were worried after getting bowled out for 145, didn't think we didn't have many runs on the board. But we then bowled beautifully on a wicket assisting us, especially Axar. At the start of the Australian tour, I didn't think I would be starting, but then Jadeja broke down and it might have had to happen. I think my bowling is coming beautifully, I thought I was bowling well in the IPL. In Australia, I had a chat with Ravi and Virat on my batting, they felt I was bowling well. I worked a lot on my fitness, this body is aging, have been working on it and it has looked upwards for me since the lockdown. I have been having a lot of chats recently - it's incredibly difficult watching the game from the dressing-room, you don't know how things work. We lost the first Test and it's extra special to come back and win from there onwards. People are asking the same question (on what keeps him going). I want to keep improving, that's what motivates me a lot.

19:52 Local Time, 14:22 GMT, 19:52 IST: Blink and you miss. You won't get a better example of it than this game. Every time you batted an eye-lid, a wicket was lost. The entire match lasted for 140 odd overs. And at the toss, one skipper went in with three frontline spinners and the other one went in with one. The result is for everyone to see. England won a massive toss, no two thoughts about it, but they just didn't make it count. The demons of Chepauk seemed to have stayed with them. They played for the turn and Axar kept deceiving them with the arm ball. It became a procession before they were shot out for 112. Of course, in the process, Ishant Sharma playing his 100th Test from being headline material was on the sidelines seeing his tweaker colleagues making merry. India themselves frittered away the advantage as they gifted Joe Root his first fifer in first class cricket. A lead of 33 was measly. But England faltered again. They were shot out for 81. Axar started off with two wickets in the first over and just didn't relent post that. Ashwin though had his moment under the sun as he became the second fastest bowler to pick up 400 wickets. India post that needed only a handful of overs to track down the formalities. There will be murmurs about the wicket but the mumblings might be weaker in amplitude as England batted first and still tripped. And yes, England are out of the reckoning for a place at Lord's for the World Test Championship final. India now need to ensure they don't lose the final Test. Now, you can blink easy as there is some time left for the presentation.

Root to Rohit, SIX, Rohit finishes it off in style! India win by 10 wickets. As comprehensive as it gets. Rohit chipped down the track and heaved it over deep mid for a huge six. India have bossed another game at home

Root to Rohit, no run, too full, yorked out into the on-side

Root to Rohit, FOUR, four more! Six needed now. That was short, Rohit says take that with that hammering blade of his. That was blazed away to the fence at deep cover for a four

Root to Rohit, FOUR, the fielder at deep mid misses it to his left despite putting in the dive. The ball was slog swept away by Rohit as he didn't time it at all. But got enough wood on it

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, too full, yorked out into the off-side

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, stays behind the line of the ball and nudges it out into the on-side

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, fuller delivery attacking the sticks, pushed back to the bowler

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, stays low and jabs the ball out into the off-side

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, turning away well outside off and kept a little low as well. Shubman Gill almost sat down to fend it out

Jack Leach to Shubman Gill, no run, tossed up delivery, Shubman Gill gets forward and pushes the ball away to the man at cover

Root to Shubman Gill, 1 run, clips the fuller ball away on to the on-side for a single

Root to Rohit, 1 run, too full, yorked out into the on-side for a single as that was too full

Root to Shubman Gill, 1 run, chips down the track and drags it away on to the on-side for a single