Courtesy of BBC Sport
England’s series defeat in India was sealed with one final, abject batting collapse on the third day of the fourth Test in Ahmedabad.
Needing 160 to make India bat again, England found themselves 10-2, 20-3 and 30-4.
Dan Lawrence showed composure in his 50, but England were eventually bowled out for 125 to lose by an innings and 25 runs.
Axar Patel claimed 5-48 – his fourth five-wicket haul of the series – and Ravichandran Ashwin 5-47 as England lost all 10 wickets in an innings to spin for the third successive Test.
The home side had earlier extended their first innings from 294-7 to 365, Washington Sundar stranded on 96 not out when the last three wickets fell for no runs in five deliveries.
In taking the series 3-1, India earn a place in the World Test Championship final, booking a meeting with New Zealand in June. England finish fourth in the table.
England’s highest total in their last seven innings is 205, in which time they have not managed a single partnership in excess of 50.
After the shock of losing the first Test, India have roared back with big victories engineered by the mastery of Ashwin and Axar.
Not once have the hosts made a total of more than 400, but they have found enough runs from opener Rohit Sharma and lower-order contributions from Pant, Ashwin and Sundar.
