Parthiv Patel guides India home in third Test - India v England, 3rd Test, Mohali, 4th day
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A brisk 54-ball 67 from Parthiv Patel helped India comfortably clinch the third Test by eight wickets, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in Mohali on Tuesday.
England began the fourth day 56 runs behind India's first-innings total, with Joe Root and nightwatchman Gareth Batty at the crease. Batty lasted just one over in the first session before Ravindra Jadeja trapped him lbw.
England's hopes fell squarely on the shoulders of Root and the lower-middle order comprising of Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes and Haseeb Hameed - their opener who had sustained a hand injury earlier in the Test.
Root helped them erase the deficit in the morning session but they lost two wicket by then. When he finally fell for a 179-ball 78 to Jadeja, England's hopes of posting a sizeable total faded. Hameed dropped anchor and Chris Woakes played positively to persuade India that the second new ball was needed. Mohammed Shami took advantage and claimed two wickets in three deliveries. Hameed remained unbeaten on 59 as England ended their innings with a 102-run lead.
England's hopes of pulling of an unlikely win hinged on their bowlers taking wickets early. Woakes gave them hope by dismissing Murali Vijay in the second over of the innings, but an 81-run stand for the second wicket between Patel and Cheteshwar Pujara put the tourists out of the contest.
Patel, playing for India more than eight years after his previous Test match, and four years after his last international, made his innings in Mohali count and smashed eleven fours and one six in his 67 that came from just 54 balls. India are now unbeaten in 16 consecutive Tests - their second-longest unbeaten sequence. Their longest such sequence consisted of 17 matches between 1985 and 1987.
"I was very nervous before the start of the Test," Patel said. "The kind of welcome I got from the dressing room, it never felt I was joining them after eight years. That's the beauty of this team. Playing aggressively suits my game. The intent was very important, and I backed myself. Ashwin was brilliant. The way he varied his pace was brilliant. He deceived even me. There wasn't much help in the wicket."
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Parthiv's success as an opener augurs well for India . However , his work with the gloves needs massive improvement . His presence in the XI helps India to go with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers . All the spinners can become reasonably good allrounders and hence there is no need to go for specialist allrounders . Kohli is fortunate to have such flexibility .
Parthiv's success as an opener augurs well for India . However , his work with the gloves needs massive improvement . His presence in the XI helps India to go with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers . All the spinners can become reasonably good allrounders and hence there is no need to go for specialist allrounders . Kohli is fortunate to have such flexibility .
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Parthiv's success as an opener augurs well for India . However , his work with the gloves needs massive improvement . His presence in the XI helps India to go with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers . All the spinners can become reasonably good allrounders and hence there is no need to go for specialist allrounders . Kohli is fortunate to have such flexibility .