India wrapped up a clinical victory in the post-lunch session on day 5 when James Anderson was trapped right in front by debutant Jayant Yadav. Despite a valiant fight by the visitors, India won the 2nd Test by a massive 246 runs, largely owing to the 200-run lead they held after the first innings.
The toss was always going to be crucial during such an encounter. Having won the toss, Virat Kohli elected to bat and he helped to make sure it counted, top-scoring for the hosts with another huge hundred, scoring 167 off 267 balls to take his team to 455.
In reply, the English innings never really got going as they lost both their openers early. The visitors had their stars in the middle-order, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow to thank for as their 110-run partnership helped cut the deficit to 200.
India largely struggled in the 2nd innings, with Virat Kohli being the only player to register a 50+ score to set a target of 405 for England to chase down. England did everything in their power to block as many deliveries as possible, before eventually succumbing and getting bundled out for 158.
This win was India's 13th in their last 15 Tests at home and they remain unbeaten under Kohli's leadership in India.
Rating the Indian cricketers' performances in Vizag -
1) KL Rahul - 1
There was plenty of hype around KL Rahul owing to his dramatic comeback to the squad earlier than expected and the consequent ouster of Gautam Gambhir. In his return game to international cricket, he was poor, scoring a total of 10 runs in the Test match. He has shown great character in his burgeoning career and will be expected to bounce back in the 3rd Test at Mohali.
2) Murali Vijay - 3
A rare, rare failure for the man from Madras*. Murali Vijay has had an incredible run at the top, staying consistent whilst having a number of different opening partners. To be fair to both Vijay and Rahul, facing Broad and Anderson is no easy task and in the second Test, they were both found wanting.
3) Cheteshwar Pujara - 8
It is almost funny to think that there was once doubts over Cheteshwar Pujara's place in the Test squad. After bringing up a century in the first innings, his 3rd 100 in consecutive Test matches, he showed that is simply the best No. 3 in the country. Failed in the second innings, but has shown the ability to build a partnership with a variety of partners.
4) Virat Kohli - 10
Captain Fantastic. Simply unbelievable. Virat Kohli's fabulous run in 2016 continues. He scored a 'daddy hundred' in the first innings, his 14th overall. The fact that everyone assumed he would score a double-century speaks volumes about his form. His performance in the second innings might have been even more impressive as he played an aggressive, counter-attacking knock where the rest of his teammates struggled.
5) Ajinkya Rahane - 5
Scores of 23 and 25 represent a disappointment to Ajinkya Rahane nowadays, hinting at his incredible consistency over the past 18 months. India's vice-captain is usually very assured in the middle order as he keeps the score ticking effortlessly. Came under heavy criticism for the way he got out in the first innings, poking at a ball too far outside his body.
6) Ravichandran Ashwin - 9
Ravi Ashwin might be the first name on the team sheet, ahead of even Virat Kohli, such is his impact in Test cricket nowadays. The all-rounder has gone from strength to strength, improving both his batting and bowling. He was at his first in the first half of the game, scoring a crucial half-century before taking 5 wickets to dent England's hopes of cutting into the deficit. Took a couple of key wickets in the second innings too. A top performance.
7) Wriddhiman Saha - 4
2 catches, 1 run-out, 5 runs, 1 career-highlight. A very strange match from Wriddhiman Saha. Such was India's overall dominance that he wasn't necessarily needed to contribute much. However, he is due a break, given his consistent performances recently. The run-out he was involved in, when he flicked the ball without looking at the stumps ala MS Dhoni will go down as one of the most memorable run-outs ever, and thus he scores a few points.
8) Ravindra Jadeja - 6
Ravindra Jadeja is tireless. He is an absolute machine, capable of bowling long spells with incredible accuracy. He had another tidy performance with the ball in the Test, picking up 3 wickets. However, he will surely be worried by his batting form given the emergence of Jayant Yadav and with Amit Mishra, among others waiting in the wings.
9) Jayant Yadav - 8
The perfect performance on debut. He was so impressive that Virat Kohli singled him out for praise during the post-match presentation. Very useful with the bat with knocks of 35 and 27* adding depth to the batting order. Was tidy whenever he got a chance to bowl, picking up 4 wickets in the match. He was involved in two memorable moments, one the run-out of Hameed with Saha, and the other, the dismissal of Ben Stokes where he comprehensive beat him.
10) Umesh Yadav – 5
The highlight of the match for Umesh Yadav was the fact that he was very tidy in the second innings, conceding just 8 runs in 8 overs. Was boosted by the fact that Virat Kohli persisted with him, giving him a massive boost of confidence. Took only one wicket in the Test, but bowled consistently at 140Kmph++. He has also shown that he can tonk the ball out of the park with the bat.
11) Mohammed Shami – 9
A superb performance from Mohammed Shami. This Test did more to strength his position as the spearhead of the Indian attack than any in the past. Although he took just 3 wickets in the match, it included that of Alastair Cook in the first innings, and Joe Root in the second. He also played a very valuable knock coming in at #11 in the second innings, where he added a priceless 19 runs.
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