The second – and last – day of the third test between India and England in Ahmedabad was simply chaotic.
Only 59.4 overs were bowled, but 17 wickets fell in just 176 runs, while India rounded out a decisive 10-wickit win and took a 2-1 lead in a series of four tests.
The day was full of drama – it started with England’s return game, before the collapse of the current trademark, and then India rounded off the fastest test victory in 86 years.
Here’s how it all played out on social media …
Leach and ‘Rootalitharan’ give England hope
After bowling in England on 112 on the first day, India continued with 99-3, trying to create a big lead for the first innings and hit only once on a field that already offers a significant spin.
For England, it was all about getting the remaining Indian gates as soon as possible, and one fan who read the BBC Sport live text hoped that would happen …
Diane Smith: I’m just a fool who starts every day of tests with hope. It doesn’t matter, does it?
Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane took the lead for India before left-handed spinner Jack Leach removed both in a row, giving hope to England.
Did BBC Sport broadcast the messages live Stephan Shemilt predict what will come? “What is India doing this morning? First Rahan, and now Rohit, he’s shooting badly against Leach. Is this retaliation?” he wrote.
Since then, it has all been about Captain Joe Root, who went from a part-time out-spinner to the English version of Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan.
Root fired the dangerous Rishabh Pant with his first ball, and then Washington Sundar and Axar Patel counted, giving him staggering 3-0 figures.
Sean Bulpitt: Joy to watch Muttiah Rootalitharan this morning.
Richard Randle: I’m not sure if I’m currently watching Root or Warne …
Root wiped his tail to finish 5-8 with 6.2 overs, while India slipped from 114-3 to 145.
‘You can’t miss a ball either’
England’s kickback left India with a slim 33-series lead. English skipper and current test match expert Michael Vaughan was certainly safe …
Those hopes didn’t last as left-handed spinner Axar bowled Zak Crawley with the first ball of England’s second inning.
Dismissing Ben Foakes with the last ball of the first inning, Axar was in a hat-trick and thought he was claiming it when Jonny Bairstow got an lbw on the swing.
The save saved Bairstow – but his next ball was bowling when England fell to 0-2.
Bowler for England and Middlesex Steven Finn, who was part of the Cricket Social team, missed the gate because he was on the phone. “This is phenomenal – you can’t miss a ball either.”
Kevin Pietersen – a member of the English team that won in India in 2012 – and former England captain Charlotte Edwards summed up what many of us thought …
But perhaps the mood was best captured by the female spinner from England Alex Hartley …
Matthew Lambert: Test cricket is both the best and the worst sport to follow. He can go from euphoria one moment with Root 5-8 to return to Earth with England 0-2. Lose for one inings maybe?
‘Are we going to celebrate 10 partnerships?’
Dom Sibley and Joe Root stopped the rot by adding 19 (scraping the pipe, we know), before Root put 31 with Ben Stokes.
Scoring running was so difficult that some people suggested that instead of celebrating fifty or a century, we should recalibrate milestones.
Kieran Unitt: 20 tracks + should result in a circle of honor and a statue.
Chris: In this inning I would love to see the batinari celebrate 10 years as usual when they reach half a century. Just nod to the balcony.
Any real hope was short-lived because England failed once again, leaving people to wonder how they would spend the weekend …
Kent Tag: I could also cancel my vacation for tomorrow.
Tom: I booked tomorrow from work to sit on the sofa all day and watch the cricket. Worried it turns into a day where I just sit on the sofa.
Although there was criticism for the field at the Narendra Modi stadium …
… there was a lot of praise for Ravichandran Ashwin, who caught Jofra Archer lbw to become the second fastest bowler with 400 test poultry.
But was it all good for Test Cricket?
After England were knocked out at 81 – meaning they scored less than 200 runs, both changes combined only for the seventh time – India needed just 49 to win. In three or so days.
They only needed 46 balls and six Rohit Sharma ends up winning.
Only 140.2 overs were bowled in the match.
But Pietersen was not satisfied with either side …
We will leave you the last thought of one of our readers, Patrick Noone, who pointed out that there were more runs between Thursday’s Twenty20 (434) New Zealand and Australia than this whole test (387).
How many days will the final test take? Your guess is as good as ours …
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