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India has handed England its first series loss of the Bazball era, taking an unassailable 3-1 series lead with a five-wicket win in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Chasing 192 to win, India lost 5-36 runs to be reduced to 5-120, before Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel put on 72 for the sixth-wicket to steer the hosts home.
“This has been the best Test match I’ve seen in a long time,” former England captain Nick Knight said in commentary.
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In scenes similar to the third Test, victory was set up on day three when England lost 8-80 to be all out for 145 in its second innings having held a 46-run lead.
Having resumed on day four 0-40, India captain Rohit Sharma’s half century looked to have put India on course for a relatively smooth victory.
But England snared three wickets to keep their slim hopes of taking it to a deciding fifth Test alive.
Sharma shared an 84-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, before the latter was spectacularly caught by veteran James Anderson off Joe Root for 37 to give the tourists a much-needed breakthrough against the seemingly comfortable Indian opening pair.
Jaiswal’s wicket at 84 sparked a mini-collapse – the hosts lost 3-16 inside nine overs to give England a sniff.
Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley had Sharma caught behind in the 26th over for 55. It was initially judged as a stumping, but on review, the television umpire also detected an edge from the batter while keeper Ben Foakes held on to a sharp catch.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir then had Rajat Patidar caught at short leg for a six-ball duck as India lost its second wicket in eight deliveries.
India went to lunch at 3-118, but the slide continued after the break.
Ravindra Jadeja hit a low full toss off Bashir straight to mid-on with the first ball after the break, before Sarfaraz Khan was out caught at short leg next ball.
Jurel (39 not out) denied Bashir the hat-trick, and then bedded down for a match winning partnership with Gill.
The 24-year-old Gill was watchful and intent on not taking any risks – he didn’t hit his first boundary until his 119th ball.
The two batters grew in confidence as they spent time at the wicket, adding 50 off 122 balls as England’s spinners began to wane.
Gill (52 not out) then hit two sixes to reach his sixth test half century and brought a swift end to an enthralling match.
Bashir, playing only his second test, finished with 3-79 and collected a match haul of eight wickets to lead the tourist bowlers.
England won the first test in Hyderabad by 28 runs. India responded by winning the second test in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs, and then the third test in Rajkot by a record 434 runs.
The fifth test will be played in Dharamsala from March 7.
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