Ind v Eng 2nd Test: India beat England by 317 runs

Chennai:  Star all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday scored his fifth Test century to help India set a mammoth 482-run target for England on Day Three of the second Test here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Ashwin scored 106 runs off 148 balls with the help of 14 fours and a six as India's second innings came to an end at 286 in the post-tea session. Mohammad Siraj remained unbeaten on 16, and added 49 runs for the final wicket with Ashwin who was the last wicket to fall.

Earlier, resuming at 54/1 on Day Three, India lost five wickets but added 102 runs to get their lead past 350 in the morning session. The hosts lost the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (7), Rohit Sharma (26), Rishabh Pant (8), Ajinkya Rahane (10) and debutant Axar Patel (7) in quick succession to give a glimmer of hope to England.

However, skipper Virat Kohli and Ashwin then shared a 96-run stand for the seventh wicket to put India in a commanding position.

Kohli, who showed his class on a Chepauk wicket that aided turn, was the first wicket to fall in the post-lunch session as he was dismissed by Moeen Ali at his individual score of 62. This was the fifth time that Ali had dismissed the Indian skipper in Test cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav (3) and Ishant Sharma (7) also shared eight and 27 run partnerships respectively with Ashwin to frustrate the England bowlers.

India had posted 329 runs in their first innings. The hosts then bowled out England for 134, securing a 195-run lead.

Brief scores: India 329 and 286 all out on Day Three (Ravichandran Ashwin 106, Virat Kohli 62; Moeen Ali 4/98, Jack Leach 4/100) vs England 134 all out

(From IANS with minor edits)

India on Sunday morning scalped 6 England wickets, including the priced scalp of Joe Root, as they had the visitors reeling in their first innings on Day Two of the second Test here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Ishant Sharma started the first over with sending off Burn in a golden duck. Ravichandra Ashwin found the rhythm in this match sending back three key English batsmen. Siraj, Ishant Sharma and Axar Patel took one wicket. England is 96/6 after 39 hours with Moin Ali and Foakes on the crease.

Earlier in the day, India added 29 runs to their overnight score before they got bundled out in the first hour of the session.

Resuming at 300/6, India lost the wicket of Patel very early in the day as he got out stumped against Moeen Ali and went back to the dressing room after scoring 5 off 14. Ishant, who came in next, also could not stay long as he out for a duck against Ali after facing just two deliveries.

Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first Test after a long time, stayed for a while but was out caught behind against Olly Stone. He faced 15 balls but failed to score a run.

Mohammad Siraj scored a boundary of the first ball he faced but was out on the second delivery as the Indian innings came to an end in the 96th over. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant remained unbeaten on 58 for which he consumed 77 deliveries. Pant smashed seven fours and two maximums.

Chennai: Rohit Sharma scored his seventh Test century -his first one year and after eight innings - to help India reach the 300 for six wickets on the first day of the second Test against England at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. Ajinkya Rahene scored 67 while

Rishabh Pant was batting on 33 at close.

The other unbeaten batsman was debutant Axar Patel, who was on five, on a pitch that had started assisting spin from the first hour of the day.

Sharma's counter-attacking 161 (off 231 balls, 18x4s, 2x6s) and his 162-run partnership with Rahane (149 balls, 9x4s) helped India recover following a poor start after captain Virat Kohli won the toss and chose to bat.

Later in the day, Pant (56 balls, 5x4s, 1x6) put up a 35-run stand with R. Ashwin (13). Axar has so far played seven balls so far and hit one boundary.

India, who lost three wickets in the first session, didn't lose any in the second session and both Sharma and Rahane handled the England bowlers with ease.

Sharma, who was struggling to get a big score since his return to Test cricket last month, took the attack to the English bowlers in a confident manner. The 33-year-old batsman raced to 80 off 78 deliveries (13x4s, 1x6) to take India to 106 for three wickets at lunch despite India losing three wickets.

On a pitch that aided turn early on, England introduced left-arm spinner Jack Leach as early as the eighth over of the match. Sharma, however, looked in control and put India in the driver's seat before a couple of wickets late in the first session gave Joe Root's team some relief.

India had lost Shubman Gill early with the team still to open its account. But then Sharma and No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara (21) shared an 85-run partnership for the second wicket to help India move into a commanding position. The partnership was dominated by Sharma as he unleashed his strokes.

However, just as they looked like they were taking the game away from England, the spinners got into action. Leach got rid of Pujara having him caught at slip by Ben Stokes.

Soon after, off-spinner Moeen Ali, who was proving expensive, spun one back in through the gap between Kohli's bat and pad to dismiss him for a duck and reduce India to 86 for three.

India had won the toss and elected to bat. The hosts made three changes in the XI that lost the first Test by 227 runs in the four-Test series. They rested pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and brought in Mohammed Siraj. Left-arm spinner Patel and Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav replaced left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and off-spinner Washington Sundar, respectively.

For England, pace bowler Stuart Broad came in for James Anderson, Olly Stone replaced the injured Jofra Archer and picked the wicket of Gill. Off-spinning all-rounder Ali replaced Dom Bess while Ben Foakes replaced Jos Buttler who has gone back to England.

Brief scores (Day 1): India 300/6 wkts in 88 overs (Rohit Sharma 161, Ajinkya Rahane 67, Rishabh Pant 33 batting; Axar Patel 5 batting, Jack Leach 2/78, Moeen Ali 2/95)