The local boy Axar Patel has taken to Test cricket like a fish to the water as he just couldn't stop taking wickets in the ongoing four-match series against England. Patel starred for the hosts as Team India bundled out England for just 112 in the first innings of the third Test match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Patel took his second five-wicket haul in as many matches on the way to his best figures in the format yet as he finished with 6/38. Patel accounted for the wickets of Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad.
The off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin added three more wickets to his tally as he now stands on 397 wickets for India, playing in the whites.
Earlier, England had won the toss and chose to bat in the Day-night Test. While England made four changes getting James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley back in the line-up, India made one more change apart from Kuldeep as pacer Jasprit Bumrah was back in the side at the expense of Mohammed Siraj.
The fast-bowler Ishant Sharma, who is playing his 100th Test match provided the first breakthrough for the hosts as he dismissed the opener, Dom Sibley, for a duck. England didn't recover from that blow, local boy Axar Patel pegged them again dismissing Jonny Bairstow for another duck as England were reduced to 27/2.
England's decision of having a bat didn't provide them the success they wanted as the visitors were in deep trouble in the second session of the third Test against India at 94/7. After losing skipper Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the wee hours of the first session.
If they thought, the second session will be better, little did they know, what was waiting for them. Ravichandran Ashwin removed Ollie Pope for just one, Axar Patel in the next over took the onus on him to get rid of Ben Stokes. The star all-rounder departed for just 6.
More trouble was waiting for them as Axar packed up Jofra Archer's bags by nailing a straighter delivery on the stumps. England were reduced to 94/7 and soon after Ashwin removed Jack Leach to have England eight down.
