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[Saba Sports News] On Day 4 of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, India vs England match took on the intensity of a high-stakes thriller. England, chasing a formidable target of 399 set by India, maintained a confident stride, scoring at about 5 runs per over. Ravichandran Ashwin, just one wicket away from reaching the landmark of 500 Test wickets, was on the verge of making cricket history.
During this gripping contest, Ashwin claimed three crucial wickets, edging closer to his historic milestone. The drama peaked as Jasprit Bumrah secured Jonny Bairstow’s LBW dismissal right before the lunch break, prompting a visibly elated Ashwin to exchange a few words with Bairstow.
By the lunch break, England’s scoreboard read 194/6, still needing 205 runs to win, with Ben Stokes at the helm, reminiscent of his Ashes 2023 heroics. Alongside Ashwin’s pivotal role, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel each took a wicket, leaving Mukesh Kumar without a wicket at this juncture.
This moment also reignited a backdrop of rivalry between Ashwin and Bairstow, stemming from a contentious dismissal in the Ashes 2023, where Bairstow was caught off-guard by Alex Carey’s throw after stepping out of his crease. Ashwin had then advised Bairstow on the importance of remaining in the crease, a sentiment that resurfaced during their encounters in the IPL, highlighting a simmering tension between the two.