Second Test: Ashwin stars as India wrest advantage (Tea Report)

Star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin notched up a five-wicket haul as India wrested the advantage with a 208-run lead at tea in the second cricket Test against England here on Saturday.

Ashwin ripped through the England batting line-up to return figures of 5/67 while Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav bagged a wicket each as England were bowled out for 255 in their first innings shortly before the tea break.

Opener Murali Vijay and Lokesh Rahul were at the crease as India went into tea at 8/0.

Earlier, Ben Stokes top scored for the visitors with 70 while Jonny Bairstow also notched up a half-century for England.

Resuming at the overnight score of 103/5, Bairstow and Stoke survived the occasional scare to complete a 110-run partnership.

Ashwin caused plenty of trouble for the English duo on a pitch which does not have too much grass.

Stokes and Bairstow however, batted steadily to help the visitors reach a respectable total.

Umesh however, restored the morale within the Indian camp a couple of overs before lunch with a full length delivery that beat Bairstow with its pace and clipped the pads before sending the middle stump for a walk.

Bairstow scored 53 runs off 152 balls with five hits to the fence.

Ashwin trapped Stokes leg before shortly after the lunch break to hand the hosts a vital breakthrough.

Stokes 157-ball stay in the middle included 11 boundaries.

His departure saw England's first innings come to a rapid close as Ashwin and Jadeja removed the last three wickets in the space of just 30 runs.

Brief scores:

India: 455 & 8/0 (Murali Vijay 3, Lokesh Rahul 1) vs England: 191/6 (Ben Stokes 70, Jonny Bairstow 53, Joe Root 53; Ravichandran Ashwin 5/67).

--IANS

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