Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
Ravichandran Ashwin picked up five wickets before India stretched their lead to take complete control, of the second Test against England, on the second day, in Chennai on Sunday.
Ashwin took 5/43 -- his 20th five-wicket haul in Tests to send England crashing for 134 in their first innings, as India gained a decisive first innings lead of 195 runs on a pitch offering a lot of assistance to the spinners.
Shubman Gill fell early when he was trapped leg before wicket by Jack Leach for 14 before Rohit Sharma (25 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (7 not out) took the hosts to 54/1 at stumps on the second day, for an overall lead of 249 runs.
Rishabh Pant's attacking innings of 58 not out had helped India post 329 in their first innings.
Morning session:
India’s spinners had England reeling on a dustbowl-like track, reducing them to 39 for four in their first innings by lunch.
That was after India, who resumed the day on 300 for 6, added only 29 runs to their overnight total in the morning session before being dismissed for 329. Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 58 off 77 balls.
At the break, England trailed India by 290 runs.
Ravichandran Ashwin (2/15) struck at the stroke of lunch, having Dan Lawrence (9, 52 balls) caught at short-leg by Shubman Gill as England plunged into further trouble.
Ben Stokes was batting on 8 at the other end.
It was a dramatic morning session in which eight wickets fell -- England and India losing four each.
Earlier, Moeen Ali got England the early breakthrough on Day 2. His flighted delivery turned sharply, drawing Axar Patel (5) forward, and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes completed a sharp stumping.
Two deliveries later, India lost their eighth wicket.
Ishant Sharma miscued a sweep off a full toss and was caught on the leg side for a duck. It was Moeen's fourth wicket of the innings.
With Pant giving Moeen treatment, England brought on Olly Stone and the pacer delivered, as Kuldeep, expecting the short ball, played from the crease, got the edge and was caught behind for a duck.
Mohammed Siraj got off the mark by smashing Stone over point for a four. However, he perished next delivery. Trying to upper cut, he got the edge and was caught behind.
India were dismissed for 329 in 95.5 overs.
Ishant opened the bowling for India. His first two deliveries were pitched wide and left-hander Rory Burns offered no stroke. He then delivered one fuller in to Burns, who missed it completely and was given out leg before wicket.
The opener took the review, which showed that the ball was clipping leg stump and the umpire's decision stayed.
Ashwin, bowling round the wicket, then dismissed Dominic Sibley (16). His first delivery hit Sibley on the pads. The batsman then went to sweep the next ball, but it went off the back of his bat and the offering was taken by Virat Kohli at leg slip.
Umpire Nitin Menon asked for a look as the replays, which confirmed the ball went off the back of the bat and Sibley walked back as England were reduced to 16 for 2.
Then came the big wicket of England skipper Joe Root. The sweep shot brings about his demise as Axar bagged his first Test wicket. Root top-edged the sweep and was caught by Ashwin at short fine leg for six. England 23-3.
Things only got worse for the visitors when Ashwin got an inside edge from Daniel Lawerence (9) and Shubman Gill took the offering at short leg.
England went to lunch reeling at 39 for 4 at lunch, Ashwin taking 2 for 15 in nine overs.
Post-lunch session:
India’s spinners wreaked havoc on a rank turner, reducing England to 106 for 8 at tea on Day 2 of the second Test, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai, on Sunday.
After snaring four wickets in the morning session, the hosts claimed another four in the post-lunch session to take command of the proceedings.
Ravichandran Ashwin (4-36) added two more scalps to his match tally while Mohammed Siraj (1-5), who was introduced only in the 39th over, debutant Axar Patel (2-30) and Ishant Sharma (1/15) also made vital contributions in England’s demolition.
England's misery continued after lunch and were five down in the 24th over when Ashwin cleaned up Ben Stokes with a full delivery. Stokes tried to play across the line but missed the ball completely while attempting to play it on the leg side and was bowled for 18.
Pacer Mohammed Siraj was introduced into the attack for the first time, in the 39th over. He struck with his first delivery in a Test match in India.
The short one was going down the leg side, but Pope nudged it fine and wicketkeeper Pant took a stunning catch, diving full length to his left and holding onto the ball in the webbing.
Pope walked back in disbelief as England were reduced to 87 for 6.
Axar replaced Siraj in the attack and struck with the first delivery of his new spell. He induced an edge from Moeen (6), which went off Pant's pads to Rahane, who did well to take the offering at slips diving to his left.
Wickets continued to tumble as Olly Stone then chipped a full delivery straight into the hands of Rohit Sharma at midwicket.
England went into the tea break on a paltry 106 for 8 in 49.2 overs, still 24 runs short of the follow-on mark.
Post-tea session:
Ishant Sharma provided the breakthrough in the post-tea session when he got Jack Leach caught behind for five.
Ashwin finished off the England innings in the very next over as Stuart Broad missed the sweep and was bowled for a duck.
England were bowled out for a paltry 134 in 59.5 in their first innings as India gained a big lead of 195 runs.
Ashwin was the star performer for India with the ball as he took 5/43 in 23.5 overs in a splendid exhibition of spin bowling. Debutant Axar made an important contribution as he claimed 2/40, including the big wicket of Joe Root, while Ishant bagged 2/22 and Mohammed Siraj picked up one wicket.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes top-scored for England with 42 not out off 107 balls even as his teammates struggled to get starts.
This was Ashwin's 23rd five-wicket haul in Tests and he surpassed Harbhajan Singh to become the second-highest wicket taker in Test matches played in India.
Ashwin took his tally to 266 wickets when he dismissed Ben Stokes, going past Harbhajan's record of 265 wickets in India.
India started off positively with the bat as Rohit pulled pacer Olly Stone for a six over square leg to make his intent clear. But Shubman Gill, who fell for a duck in the first innings, struggled to get going as he miscued the lofted shot off Jack Leach, which cleared the point fielder.
Rohit kept the runs coming against the spinners as he drove Moeen Ali for a four through the covers and then swept Leach for another boundary in the next over.
Gill joined in the fun as he lofted Moeen for a six over long-on as the openers tried to unsettle the England spinners with their strokeplay.
Rohit, on 20, got a lifeline when wicketkeeper Foakes missed a stumping chance off Moeen before Leach brought the visitors some relief with the wicket of Gill.
The opener was trapped leg before wicket for 14 after putting on 42 runs for the opening wicket with Rohit.
Rohit survived another close call when he was given not out to a leg before wicket appeal by Moeen. England reviewed the decision as they felt Rohit was not playing the shot but the on-field umpire Virender Sharma thought otherwise as only the LBW was reviewed for point of impact, which went in the Indian's favour. If the umpire had indicated to the TV umpire that Rohit was not playing a shot, then the opener would have been ruled out leg before wicket.
But Rohit survived the close call much to the annoyance of England skipper Root.
He was then given out leg before wicket after he missed the reverse sweep which he overturned on review as he got a thin bottom edge. A few overs later, he was beaten by a sharp turning delivery from Leach as he survived another close stumping opportunity, managing to drag his back foot in time.
At stumps on Day 2, India were in complete command as they reached 54/1 in 18 overs, for an overall lead of 249 runs with nine wickets in hand and three days to go.
