Virat Kohli, R Ashwin overcome English spin trio, demons in Chepauk pitch to put India in drivers’ seat

India captain Virat Kohli defied the odds as he notched up a calculated 25th Test half-century in the ongoing second Test against England in Chennai. With a strike rate of 46.73, Kohli hit seven boundaries en route to his fifty and took 107 balls. While the Indian batsmen surrendered meekly to the English bowlers, Kohli stood tall, scoring runs at ease and hitting occasional boundaries.

With the lead over 350 runs, India now has a strong hold on this Test, and are way on their way to equalise the four-match Test series.

On the other end, Ravichandran Ashwin, too, scored a patient 13th Test half-century. This is also his first 50+ score in Test cricket at home since December 2016 and first anywhere since August 2017.

He is now tied with Richard Hadlee at six on the list of ‘hitting a fifty and taking a five-wicket-haul in the same Test most times’.