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It was too good to be true, even for Mohammed Siraj. He was busy trying to convince referee Joel Wilson that he had caught Rehan Ahmed in front. Meanwhile, the referee pointed his finger, not to point but to attract Sirja’s attention. The bail connecting the center and left stump was lying on the ground. The batsman, Ahmed, was as surprised as everyone. He came out of nowhere. Jasprit Bumrah’s yorker against Ollie Pope would take a beating but few would have imagined that Siraj would produce a close contender already in the next Test.
He was a different Mohammed Siraj in this Test. The one who struggled for his lines in the first Test in Hyderabad, he transformed into the fast bowler who made a name for himself as Bumrah’s number 2. It was evident from the way he started Ben Duckett with the new ball on Day 2. But the left-hander survived the initial two overs and then got caught between the Indian bowlers.
Siraj, however, continued to be fine. He dismissed Pope with a brilliant shot after captain Rohit set up a short ball trap. But he saved his best for the second session of day 3. Siraj sent off Ben Foakes with a slower goal. The England goalkeeper fired home after looking so good in the latter part of the morning session.
On the last ball of Siraj’s next over, the surprise moment arrived. The ball came in from outside the box, not as much as Bumrah’s towards Pope, but enough to deceive Ahmed, who was looking to be positive. The ball sneaked under Ahmed’s bat and hit the off stump. The sight was not that dramatic. The stumps held firm but the bail was dislodged. The work was done.
Siraj produced another good yorker for James Anderson to end England’s innings on 319. He returned with figures of 4/84, the best by an Indian bowler in this innings.
The tourists resumed at 207-2 in response to India’s 445, but lost two wickets in the space of six deliveries in the first 30 minutes.
Jasprit Bumrah struck in the fifth over of the day when Joe Root attempted a reverse delivery and was caught at second slip by Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Kuldeep trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for a duck and the batsman burned a review for England, with replays suggesting the ball would have hit middle stump.
Left-handed Duckett reached 150 but had a tame finish when he chased a wide delivery from Kuldeep to gift a catch to fielder Shubman Gill.
Duckett smashed 23 fours and two sixes in his 151-ball knock, which punished the Indian bowlers on the second day after Ashwin got the other opener, Zak Crawley, for his 500th wicket.
Ashwin left the Test midway due to a family emergency hours later and Devdutt Padikkal came in as a substitute fielder.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India announced Ashwin’s retirement on Friday night, with vice-president Rajeev Shukla saying he had rushed to Chennai “to be with his mother”.
The five-match series is tied 1-1 after England won the first match and India recovered in the second match.