India vs England 4th Test: Team India struggled against England's spin attack at Ranchi and was 219/7 at stumps on Day 2. Former Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle said that India is losing its grip over the match and the series might go for a final showdown at Dharamshala. However, he also shared what India needs to make a comeback and said that the tail-end batters must add 80 more runs and then spinners must deliver in the second innings.
“At this stage, the odds will be on the series being 2-2 going into Dharamshala. For India to be in the game, the tail needs to add at least another 80 and then back the spinners to bowl them back into the match," Harsha Bhogle said in a post on X. Harsha Bhogle's remarks came as England spinner Shoaib Bashir decimated India's batting order on Day 2 with some of the most crucial wickets.
After sitting out the third Test, Bashir made a comeback to the England team, taking the place of Rehan Ahmed. In an impressive performance, he not only doubled his wicket count but also played a crucial role in positioning England to potentially even the series at 2-2, with three days left in the match. Shubman Gill (38) was the first one to fall, then it was Rajat Patidar (17), Rajkot centurion Ravindra Jadeja (12) was the third one, but then came the biggest setback for India as Shoaib Bashir clinched Yashasvi Jaiswal's (73) wicket.
The spinners capitalized well on the extra turn provided by the pitch of Ranchi, something which Indian spinners couldn't do that well as Joe Root decided to forget bazball and test India's patience on Day 1. England's left-arm spinner Tom Hartley jolted India twice with the wicket of Sarfaraz Khan (14) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1). Milestone Alert!
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