James Anderson stars as England seal first Test victory over India
James Anderson inspired England to a famous fifth-day win over India in the first Test paving the way for a 227-run victory with an astonishing spell of reverse swing in Chennai.
Four days of hard-earned dominance had left the tourists on the cusp of an upset against opponents who had lost just one of their last 35 matches on home turf dating back to 2012, and Anderson’s magnificent work in the morning made it a reality.
The 38-year-old defied expectations that spin would be the only way to finish things off, dismissing Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane in an over which will go down as one of the most compelling in recent history.
Both batsmen saw their off stump go cartwheeling as James Anderson got the ball hooping in outrageously, and there could easily have been an lbw decision against Rahane in between. By the time he had the dangerous Rishabh Pant cheaply caught at short cover, Anderson had swung the game – quite literally – with a five-over burst of three wickets for six runs.
Jack Leach was also a key performer, bouncing back from some damage in the first innings to claim for four for 74, while Ben Stokes had the satisfaction of clean bowling India captain Virat Kohli for 72.
Joe Root’s side have now completed six consecutive overseas wins, including visits to South Africa and Sri Lanka, their best streak away from home since 1914.
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