Former England cricketer Alastair Cook showered commendations upon the Indian spinners for their outstanding performance on the third day of the Ranchi Test. Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav, in particular, showcased their prowess by collectively accounting for nine wickets for the England team, thereby bolstering India's prospects of clinching the series on the following day.
Throughout the fourth Test encounter between India and England, the prowess of the Indian spin duo was on full display, especially as the visitors' top order faltered against their relentless bowling attack. Ashwin's remarkable five-wicket haul, coupled with Kuldeep's splendid four-wicket haul, thwarted the efforts of the Three Lions to build a substantial lead beyond their initial 46 runs.
The disappointing innings total of a mere 145 runs posted by England placed India in a favorable position to chase down a target of 192 runs for victory.
Expressing his thoughts on the remarkable display by the Indian spinners, former England skipper Alastair Cook emphasized that their performance was in line with expectations, particularly on a pitch conducive to spin bowling. "Today we've seen India's spinners causing chaos on a turning pitch, and I think that's what a lot of us were worried about before the series," Cook remarked during an interview on TNT Sports.
However, Cook did not shy away from acknowledging England's shortcomings and their flawed approach, particularly while confronting the challenges posed by a tricky pitch. He emphasized that to secure victory against the formidable Indian team in their home conditions, England needed to maintain a high level of performance for the entirety of the match. "To win a Test against this India team in their own conditions, England have to be on it for four whole days...They had been very good for two and a half days, but in the last few hours they weren't on it, and India burst through the door. England have got a mountain to climb," Cook added.
Despite Zak Crawley's resilient innings of 60 runs off 91 balls, the rest of the English batting lineup struggled to withstand the onslaught of the Indian spinners during their second innings. Ashwin's pivotal dismissals of Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope, and the contentious LBW call against Joe Root, alongside Kuldeep's crucial scalps of Ben Stokes and the well-set Crawley, contributed significantly to India's dominance in the match.
