Testing spell from Shami helps India clinch second Test - India v England, 2nd Test, Visakhapatnam, 5th day
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Mohammed Shami foxed England by claiming two wickets on the final day to help India clinch the second Test by a massive 246-run margin in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
England's openers, Alastair Cook and Haseeb Hameed, put on a defiant display on Sunday by adding 75 runs for the first wicket, however they fell in the final session of the day. They had set the standard for the remaining England batsmen by proving that the surface could be negotiated with disciplined batting.
On the final day though, Ben Duckett and Joe Root - still new to the crease - found it difficult to answer questions posed by a disciplined India-bowling unit. Duckett was the first to fall for 0, to R Ashwin, after he failed to open his account in the 15 deliveries he faced.
Moeen Ali, the centurion from the first Test, looked comfortable against the spinners until a Ravindra Jadeja delivery spun from the rough and induced an edge to leg gully. England's ambitions of saving the Test was fading early and they looked to Root and Ben Stokes to bail them out of trouble.
An inform Stokes, failed to replicate his first-innings heroics as debutant Jayant Yadav produced a faster delivery from around the wicket that drifted, as Stokes played back, and clipped the off stump. England was 115 for 5 at that stage and any hopes of a revival looked bleak.
Shami, who had been impressive through the Test, then produced a spell that foxed even an every-reliant Root and eventually dismissed him. The Shami delivery that dismissed Root, swung late and trapped him on the crease. Root reviewed the decision but Hawkeye proved the on-field umpire right. India had claimed five wickets and reduced the visitors to 142 for 7 at lunch.
Jonny Bairstow remained unbeaten on a 57-ball 34, but the rest of the lower order managed just nine runs between them. Adil Rashid was Shami's second wicket of the innings.
"The biggest positives are how the fast bowlers bowled and Jayant's debut," Kohli said. "It's always priceless those contributions and it speaks volumes of his character. I'm really happy for him. For a young guy to come in and tell me the field he wants, it shows he knows what he is doing. I knew the batsmen uncomfortable. Was lovely to have five bowlers who can pick up wickets. We've been playing some really good cricket, we don't want to be complacent but don't want to be desperate, either. We respect England."
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