India vs England: From sizzle to fizzle, how hosts clipped Joe Root and Co's flight of fancy
FirstpostOn the 6th of February, England finished the second day of this series on 555/8 in 180 overs. Over this month, England’s flight of fancy – a bid to become the first visiting side to win a Test series in India in over eight years – was first halted mid-air, in Chennai itself, before it nosedived upon arrival in Ahmedabad. The combination of Shahbaz Nadeem and Washington Sundar to support Ravichandran Ashwin may have been a third-choice spin attack of sorts for India, but still, in grinding 127.1 overs out of the trio for 418 runs in the first innings of the tour – while losing only five wickets – England were laying down a marker, stamping their preparations for the trial that awaited them. Dom Sibley made a patient 87 to start his tour, then averaged 6.71 for the rest of it; Rory Burns made 33, then added only 25 in the next three innings to lose his spot; Ben Stokes dashed his way to 82, and averaged 17.29 thereafter; Ollie Pope’s first innings 34 was followed by a mere 119 runs in the next seven outings. England loaded up on pace in the third game; India’s seamers bowled only 11 of their 79 overs in the Test – and none in the second innings.