What happened on Day 2 of the 4th IND vs ENG 2024 Test?

Young England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir starred with 4/84 from 32 overs as the visitors impressed on Day 2 of the fourth Test against India in Ranchi on Saturday, February 24.

Resuming their first innings on 302/7, the visitors were bowled out for 353 as left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (4/67) claimed all three remaining wickets. England, however, reduced India to 219/7 in 73 overs by stumps on Day 2. While Bashir starred with four scalps, Tom Hartley also chipped in with two wickets.

India got off to a poor start as skipper Rohit Sharma (2) became James Anderson’s 697th Test victim, dangling his bat to a delivery in the channel and only managing an edge. Yashasvi Jaiswal (73 off 117) and Shubman Gill (38 off 65) lifted India, adding 82 runs for the second wicket. Both batters looked in control until Bashir ripped through India’s batting with a probing spell.

Bashir ended Gill’s resistance by trapping him leg before with one that turned in sharply to beat the batter’s inside edge. Rajat Patidar’s poor run continued as he too fell lbw to Bashir for 17. The ball skidded and spun in sharply to catch the Indian batter off guard.

The young off-spinner had his third when Jadeja (12), having hit Hartley for consecutive sixes, gave a catch to forward short leg. Bashir produced extra bounce with his top-spinner and Jadeja failed to deal with it.

At the other end, Jaiswal eased past his half-century and was looking good for another three-figure score. However, he became Bashir’s fourth victim as he was bowled, going back to a length ball. The delivery kept low and Jaiswal could only drag it back onto the stumps.

Sarfaraz Khan tried to offer some resistance, but was dismissed for 14 off 53 balls. The right-hander nicked an inviting delivery from Hartley and was nicely caught by Joe Root at slip, diving to his left. Hartley had his second when Ravichandran Ashwin (1) was also trapped lbw. Ashwin got a big stride forward, but was done in by the low bounce.

Dhruv Jurel (30*) and Kuldeep Yadav (17*) then ensured India went to stumps without any further damage. They had added an unbroken 42 by close of play. The hosts, however, still trail England by 134 runs.

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Jadeja runs through England’s tail

Earlier in the day, Jadeja ran through England’s tail as they were bowled out for 353. Overnight batters Root and Ollie Robinson took the team’s score from 302/7 to 347 before the left-arm spinner struck. He got the wicket of Robinson (58), who contributed a fine half-century. The batter perished in his endeavor to reverse sweep a flat delivery.

In the same over, Jadeja had Bashir caught at backward point as the tailender attempted a slog and got a leading edge. The England innings drew to a close when Jadeja trapped Anderson lbw for a duck. Root remained unbeaten on 122 off 274 balls, a defiant knock featuring 10 fours.