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Home , Jonny Bairstow, Monty Panesar, Ravichandran Ashwin

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016 SPORTS

Kohli turns peacemaker to douse Ashwin-Anderson fire

MUMBAI: adopted an Ashwin appeared irked by trying to calm things down in the mid- “I think he (Ashwin) told me he was saying it was unnecessary uncharacteristic role as peacemaker Anderson’s comments on Sunday that dle at a time when James Anderson is pretty disappointed with what he said and left a “sour” taste. yesterday when the acted Kohli’s technique was not being thor- involved,” a grinning Kohli, who is often and it is important to accept defeat as it “It was a bit of a sour end really. A to pacify an angry exchange between oughly tested on the docile pitches in very demonstrative on the field, told is. Later on, I told James these things disappointing end in terms of how well off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and India after he hit 235 at the Wankhede reporters after India moved 3-0 ahead happen and let’s move on.” the spirit’s been between both sides,” England paceman James Anderson on Stadium for his third double hundred in the five-match series. Anderson has a history of disputes Cook said. “It was clearly reference to the final day of the fourth test. of 2016. “Ashwin wasn’t pleased with what he with India and the team filed a charge what Jimmy said yesterday which has The incident occurred when England’s record -taker in tests (Anderson) said in the press and I didn’t against him for pushing kind of been blown out of all propor- England number 11 Anderson walked dismissed Kohli four times during India’s even know about it. He told me on the during the test in 2014. tions, which it can do here. He was just out to bat and was greeted by a volley tour of England in 2014 but the bats- ground. “So I didn’t know what to make He was later cleared by the govern- stating a fact which if you asked Virat is of angry words by Ashwin, whose man has flayed Anderson and his bowl- of it, I was laughing about it, Ashwin ing body International Council probably quite true. views were echoed by his team mates ing partners this time, already amassing wasn’t too impressed and he let him (ICC). Yesterday, the contretemps “But yes it was obviously just sticking in the innings and 36 runs victory for 640 runs in the ongoing series at an know without using any bad words, between Ashwin and Anderson threat- up for their captain which I thought was the hosts. average of 128. “For the first time I was honestly,” Kohli added. ened to boil over with England captain slightly unnecessary.” — Reuters

Cook bemoans weakened spin options in Mumbai loss

MUMBAI: England no longer have the bowlers, two seamers and two spinners, world class spin options available to them but in this side we need more options.” that they enjoyed when they stunned India Cook admitted England had erred by in 2012, captain Alastair Cook said after his picking an extra seamer in Jake Ball while side fell 3-0 behind the hosts in the five- overlooking Gareth Batty as the pitch had match series yesterday. nothing in it for the quicker bowlers. England are the last team to win a series “Here we knew it was going to spin,” in India when they beat the hosts 2-1 four Cook said. “But one thing we have strength years ago with spinners in depth in is our seamers and we can get and revelling in the condi- control with our seamers if it is not spin- tions, and ably supported by prolific wick- ning a huge amount. et-taking paceman James Anderson. “Generally here in Mumbai it spins During that series, Panesar took 11 wick- slightly later on in the game but it spun ets at the while Swann pretty much from ball one and last time in picked up eight more to help England 2012 it didn’t and the pitch looked exactly thrash India by 10 . the same.” However, leg-spinner , who is Cook was also left to rue England’s fail- England’s highest wicket-taker in the ongo- ure to take the chances that came their ing series with 22 victims, and off-spinner way. missed a stumping have failed to match those per- opportunity of on 45, while formances. Rashid dropped a difficult return catch “No disrespect to Mo and Rash but from India captain Virat Kohli on 68 and Joe Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar were Root also put down Jayant Yadav at slip on world class bowlers in 2012,” Cook told eight. Vijay scored 136, Kohli went on to reporters after England’s defeat by an make 235 and Yadav 104. “We missed three innings and 36 runs. “In these conditions good chances to take wickets and they you need that. madeus pay,” Cook said. “Missing Kohli, “Mo and Rash have bowled well but missing Vijay and Yadav cost us dearly. they are not yet in that league... I do not “It is just frustrating. To beat India in mean that disrespectfully at all and that is these conditions you have to play the per- why we need a slightly different balance to fect game and we haven’t managed to do the side. “In 2012, we could play the four that.” —Reuters MUMBAI: India captain Virat Kohli (L) celebrates with Ravindra Jadeja (2nd L), Ravichandran Ashwin (3rd R) and their teammates during a victo- ry lap after winning the fourth match against England at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai yesterday. — AFP Ashwin leads India to series win over England

MUMBAI: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin blew away England’s lower order resistance to SCOREBOARD spin India to a crushing series-clinching victo- ry on the final day of the fourth test at the MUMBAI: Scoreboard on the final day of the fourth Test between India and England in Mumbai yesterday. Wankhede Stadium yesterday. The touring side, who resumed the final England 1st innings 400 (K. Jennings 112, J. Buttler 76; J. Buttler 6 day on 182 for six, were only able to add 13 R. Ashwin 6-112) C. Woakes b Ashiwn 0 runs to their total as Ashwin (6-55) took all India 1st innings 631 (V. Kohli 235, M. Vijay 136; Rashid A. Rashid c Rahul b Ashwin 2 four remaining wickets in a little more than 4-192) J. Anderson C Yadav b Ashwin 2 half an hour and the hosts won by an innings England 2nd innings 195 Extras (b15, lb2, nb2) 19 and 36 runs. The five-wicket haul was the 24th A. Cook lbw b Jadeja 18 Total (10 wickets, 55.3 overs) 195 for the world’s top-ranked test bowler and his K. Jennings lbw Kumar 0 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Jennings), 2-43 (Cook), 3-49 (Ali), 4- seventh 10-wicket haul, after the 30-year-old J. Root lbw J. Yadav 77 141 (Root), 5-180 (Stokes), 6-182 (Ball), 7-185 (Bairstow), also took six wickets in England’s first innings, M. Ali c Vijay b Jadeja 0 8-189 (Woakes), 9-193 (Rashid), 10-195 (Anderson) inspired India to an unassailable 3-0 lead. J. Bairstow lbw Ashwin 51 : Kumar 4-1-11-1, U. Yadav 3-0-10-0, Jadeja 22-3- England had beaten India in their last three B. Stokes c Vijay b Ashwin 18 63-2 (1nb), Ashwin 20.3-3-55-6, J. Yadav 6-0-39-1 (1nb) test series including a 2-1 triumph on their J. Ball c Patel b Ashwin 2 Result: India win by an innings and 36 runs. last visit to the South Asian country in 2012 but the tourists have been thoroughly out- knuckle, to be struck in front of the wicket first innings and still lose by an innings. played by the hosts since drawing the open- after adding just a run to his overnight score “Historically on this ground 400 is a good ing match in Rajkot. and was unable to overturn the leg before score in the first innings and in the second “This series win is probably the sweetest of decision on review. innings, we had our chances,” rued England MUMBAI: India’s captain Virat Kohli (R) greeting England’s after India won all we’ve won so far in the past 14-15 months,” captain Alastair Cook. “We’ve just not taken the fourth Test cricket match between India and England at the Wankhede stadium India captain Virat Kohli said at the presenta- ANGRY EXCHANGE those chances. “We were in the game for three in Mumbai yesterday. — AFP tion following his side’s fifth series victory in a Ashwin then claimed a wicket in each of his days but not good enough to take those row. “It could not get any better. next three overs to bring about a quick end to opportunities and that’s what cost us.” “To win at Wankhede, going three-nil proceedings as England’s lower order capitu- Ashwin, who has won the man of the series against a top quality side that has beaten us lated meekly. There were some angry words awards in each of India’s last four test series, convincingly last two times, it feels really exchanged between James Anderson and the took his tally to 27 wickets from the four Root ‘ready’ to good.” Trailing by 49 runs entering the final India players when the England number 11 matches against England. day, England’s hopes of making India bat walked in to bat with the umpires forced to Man of the match Kohli, who hit 235 in again rested on a pair of wicketkeeper-bats- intervene to prevent the incident from esca- India’s massive first innings total of 631 for his captain England men-Jonny Bairstow, who was unbeaten on lating further. On what has been a generally third double century of the year, leads the 50 overnight, and . dismal tour for England, they also picked up run-scoring list with 640 at an average of 128. Bairstow, however, misread Ashwin’s ‘car- an unwelcome statistic of becoming just the The fifth and final Test will be played in MUMBAI: England captain Alastair Cook with the balance of our squad,” he added, rom’ ball, a finger-spinner delivered with the third side in test history to compile 400 in the from Friday. — Reuters said yesterday Joe Root was ready to referring to England’s lack of world-class take over as skipper but that no decision spinners. on his own future would be taken until the new year. RESPECT IN DRESSING ROOM India humiliated England in the fourth Root has been widely tipped to suc- Test in Mumbai to clinch the series 3-0 ceed Cook and the veteran left-hander with a match to spare, raising questions said the 25-year-old was the ideal candi- about how long Cook can remain in the date to step into his shoes. “I think Joe job. His future was called into question Root is ready to captain England. He’s just before the tour started when he ready because he’s a clued on guy, he’s admitted he could quit at the end of the got the respect of everyone in the series and he was finding it difficult to be changing room. “He hasn’t got much apart from his family for long periods. captaincy experience but that doesn’t “Those comments I made don’t mean he can’t be a very good captain,” change,” Cook told reporters following Cook added, saying the magnitude of England’s innings and 36-run loss at the task should not be underestimated. Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. “It sticks “You’re thrown in at the deep end and true to the end of this series. Then I’ll sit you kind of sink or swim. Nothing can down with Straussy (England’s Director really prepare you for it. of Cricket ) in the new “You are the forefront of the team and year, like we made that pact to always it comes onto your shoulders when you talk openly and honestly about stuff.” win or lose. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin “In the heat of the battle you make claimed four wickets in just half-an-hour those decisions. You either make good yesterday morning to send England ones or bad ones and you have to live crashing to 195 all out, meaning the with that,” said Cook. Cook, who recently hosts won without having to bat a sec- overtook Michael Atherton’s record of 54 ond innings. It was the tourists’ third Tests as England captain, said a lack of heavy defeat in a row in the series after world class spin bowlers had hurt his the drawn first Test in Rajkot. side in India. “My position hasn’t changed whether “This is no disrespect to Mo (Moeen we won this game or lost,” said Cook, 31, Ali) and Rash (Adil Rashid) but Graeme who admitted though that the nature of Swann and Monty Panesar were world the defeat could influence his thinking. class bowlers in 2012,” when England “You start having questions, of course won a series in India, said Cook. “I think you do. Naturally you look at stuff. Mo and Rash have bowled well but DHAKA: In this Dec. 9, 2016, photo, Rajshahi Kings’s Mehedi Hasan Miraz dives unsuccessfully to try and take a catch during the Bangladesh Clearly it’s a hard place to come on tour they’re not yet in that league.” — AFP Premier League cricket T20 final match against Dhaka Dynamites in Dhaka, Bangladesh. — AP