India wins the test series 4-1 as Ashwin destroys England on the 5th test

Jimmy Anderson achieved a significant milestone, but England's expedition failed as India's spinners caused a second avalanche of wickets, resulting in a 4-1 defeat.

Thirteen minutes into the third day, a significant event occurred for the visitors as the day progressed unpredictably. Anderson made history by becoming the first and perhaps the last fast bowler in Test cricket to achieve 700 wickets when Kuldeep Yadav edged the ball behind.

Ben Stokes returns to the pavilion after his dismissal on the third day of the fifth Test against India.

The 41-year-old is in exclusive company, with just two exceptional spinners, Shane Warne (708) and Muttiah Muralitharan (800), having more wickets than him. However, Anderson's achievement did not overshadow what happened next. England, behind by 259 runs due to the early collapse caused by Kuldeep on day one, were dismissed for 195 runs in 48.1 overs. This resulted in a loss by an innings and 64 runs, making the victory in Hyderabad six weeks earlier seem distant.

Anderson deserved more than England's batters’ chaotic and confusing performance in their penultimate game on tour. Joe Root was the only player who seemed psychologically focused in India, unlike the rest of the team, who seemed distracted. His calm, professional innings of 84 stood out among the top seven players.

Rohit Sharma watched India's victory from the side-lines due to a sore back. At the same time, Ravichandran Ashwin marked his 100th appearance by taking five wickets for 77 runs in the match, showcasing his dedication to excellence as a spinner.

Ashwin has achieved 516 Test wickets in his career, with his young family supporting him from the bleachers. Despite this, he has delivered many exceptional periods that resulted in fewer rewards. At this time, his victims willingly succumbed to defeat as India, who had already secured their 17th consecutive home series victory, deserved the outcome.

Ben Stokes and his team must face this situation and engage in meaningful discussions about their identity and aspirations. The truth session may begin with reconsidering the notion that no stroke is a poor one, which was challenged when Ben Duckett attempted to charge Ashwin on the fifth delivery and was bowled out.

It resulted in the fall of three wickets inside ten overs and five wickets by the 23rd over before lunch. Crawley's tour of 407 runs, which included three scores in the 70s, ended when Ashwin caught him at backwards short leg after scoring a 16-ball duck. Ollie Pope was dismissed for 19 runs after being deceived by a well-disguised off-break delivery from Ashwin, resulting in a top edge while trying to sweep the ball outside the off stump.

Jonny Bairstow approached Shubman Gill to discuss a statement made on day two about Anderson retiring but did not address the speculation that he would also retire after reaching 100 caps. He hit three sixes against Ashwin but was then dismissed lbw by Kuldeep's fourth delivery.

Bairstow achieved his best score of 39 in a series when seven scores over 25 had been recorded. Despite his efforts, the captain's performance with the bat could have been better. Stokes managed to avoid a pair but was eventually bowled for two runs while attempting to hit a slider from Ashwin. Accompanying lunch was England's score of 103 for five, signalling a specific loss within three days.

Throughout the tour, Root remained composed and skilful, returning to his typical performance while facing challenges from Bumrah. Root's shot to long-on to give Kuldeep his third wicket, which completed the loss, is likely not subject to investigation, considering his prior tormentor's dominance over the lower order.

It guaranteed that images of Anderson, the last English batter, would mostly be positive, like when he walked off with Shoaib Bashir earlier in the day, insisting the 20-year-old go first. The youthful off-spinner achieved his second Test five-wicket haul despite India's innings ending early at 477, which increased the likelihood of a quick finish.