England's aspirations of pushing for a series decider diminished significantly in the face of a spirited fightback from India on the third day of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
With resilient lower-order resistance and top-notch spin bowling, India turned the tide of the match. Starting Sunday 134 runs behind with only three first-innings wickets in hand, the hosts concluded the day at 40-0, chasing 192 to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Dhruv Jurel's crucial 90 propelled India to 307. The wicketkeeper, notably dropped on 59 by Ollie Robinson, forged partnerships of 76 with Kuldeep Yadav and an additional 40 with the number 10, Akash Deep.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir finished with figures of 5-119, becoming the second-youngest England bowler at 20 years and 135 days to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
England's lead stood at a crucial 46, with every run proving vital as India's spinners showcased their prowess on a captivating, tension-filled afternoon.
Zak Crawley's stylish 60 and Jonny Bairstow's counter-attacking 30 were invaluable contributions. However, the rest of the England batting lineup struggled, managing only 145 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin was exceptional with figures of 5-51, and Kuldeep displayed precision with his 4-22.
India capitalised on the 25 minutes given to them before the close, scoring at a rate of five runs per over. Captain Rohit Sharma reached 24, and Yashasvi Jaiswal reached 16.
The day unfolded as a gripping display of Test cricket, aligning with the expectations for the game in this country – a hard-fought first innings followed by a rush to the conclusion as spinners wreak havoc in the second.
Despite commendable performances by England's Bashir and Tom Hartley, India's slow trio extracted considerable assistance from the pitch.
In a deviation from the usual aggression, there is an argument to be made that England fell short. Ben Duckett, Ben Stokes, and Bairstow fell victim to tame dismissals. Admittedly, these were the most challenging batting conditions of the tour.
England's run rate of 2.69 was their slowest since Stokes took over as captain. Almost all of the 53.5 overs in their second innings were bowled by India's spinners, who exploited the sharp turn and unpredictable bounce.
England opted for the spin of Joe Root and Hartley as openers, but India's batsmen, particularly Rohit, took advantage, scoring boundaries.
As Monday approaches, India emerges as favourites to clinch the series. However, England remains hopeful of utilising the pitch to force a series decider in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.
A flying start from England could have sealed the match, but Ashwin and Jadeja's new-ball partnership signalled the challenges ahead.
Duckett fell to Ashwin, and Pope was bewildered by a carrom ball, getting leg before for a golden duck. Crawley fought back with style, adding valuable partnerships with Root and Bairstow.
However, Crawley's dismissal triggered a collapse, with five wickets falling for 23 runs. Stokes played on, Hartley swiped to mid-on, and Robinson fell leg-before for a duck, all to Kuldeep.
Bairstow's soft dismissal meant England lost their last significant weapon against India's relentless bowling.
Foakes and Bashir resisted for over 12 overs, adding only 12 runs. Foakes survived 75 balls for his 17 before chipping a delivery back to Ashwin, who completed his first five-wicket haul of the series.
India owe much of their turnaround to Jurel, who played only his second Test and held a place behind the stumps until Rishabh Pant's return to fitness.
