The Indian cricket team rode on spinners Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin’s incredible bowling to thrash England by 10 wickets in the third Test in Ahmedabad and take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Earlier in the day, the three Indian spinners had a hand in bowling out England for a mere 81 runs, leaving India to score 49 to win. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill wrapped up the contest in style, taking just 7.4 overs.
Spinners ruled the roost in the match as they bagged 29 of the 30 wickets that fell on a dusty pitch at the newly reconstructed Motera Stadium.
The Ahmedabad Test is now the shortest Test match since World War II, and marks just the second time that a Test match in India has finished inside two days. The first one happened against Afghanistan in 2018, with the visitors making their debut in the longest format of the game. Overall, this is the 22nd time in Test cricket history that a Test has finished inside two days.
Shortest match duration in terms of balls (since Indian independence and decisive matches only)
| Team 1 | Team 2 | Balls | Overs | Winner | Ground | Match Date |
| India | England | 842 | 140.2 | India | Ahmedabad | 24 Feb 2021 |
| South Africa | England | 883 | 147.1 | England | Centurion | 14 Jan 2000 |
| Pakistan | Australia | 893 | 148.5 | Australia | Sharjah | 11 Oct 2002 |
| South Africa | Zimbabwe | 907 | 151.1 | South Africa | Port Elizabeth | 26 Dec 2017 |
| South Africa | Zimbabwe | 940 | 156.4 | South Africa | Cape Town | 04 Mar 2005 |
Hometown boy Axar’s devastating spell rips through England
Gujarat-born Axar Patel dismantled the visitors with figures of 6/38 and 5/32 as India won the only day-night Test of the series in just two days. The 27-year-old became just the eighth Indian bowler to pick 10 wickets against England in Tests.
Axar’s match figures of 11/70 is now the best bowling figures in Tests by an Indian bowler at the Motera Stadium.
Most wickets at Motera in a Test match (Indian bowlers only)
| Player | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Opposition | Start Date |
| Axar Patel | 36.4 | 6 | 70 | 11 | 1.9 | v England | 24 Feb 2021 |
| Venkatapathy Raju | 56.2 | 16 | 125 | 11 | 2.21 | v Sri Lanka | 08 Feb 1994 |
| Kapil Dev | 57.3 | 15 | 135 | 10 | 2.34 | v West Indies | 12 Nov 1983 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 53.2 | 10 | 141 | 10 | 2.64 | v Sri Lanka | 18 Dec 2005 |
| Anil Kumble | 89 | 18 | 233 | 10 | 2.61 | v England | 11 Dec 2001 |
The left-arm spinner also bagged his third consecutive five-wicket haul in Test and thus becoming the fourth Indian bowler to claim three fifers in Test cricket.
Joe Root records best figures by visiting spinner at Motera
England captain Joe Root (5/8) bagged his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, as he dragged the visitors back into the contest after India were dismissed for 145 on day two of the third test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Best bowling figures for an England spinner at Ahmedabad
| Player | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Start Date |
| Joe Root | 6.2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 1.26 | 24 Feb 2021 |
| Ashley Giles | 43.3 | 16 | 67 | 5 | 1.54 | 11 Dec 2001 |
| Graeme Swann | 51 | 8 | 144 | 5 | 2.82 | 15 Nov 2012 |
| Jack Leach | 20 | 2 | 54 | 4 | 2.7 | 24 Feb 2021 |
| Richard Dawson | 32 | 9 | 72 | 2 | 2.25 | 11 Dec 2001 |
Root also conceded the fewest runs in a Test five-wicket haul for England since 1924 – AER Gilligan’s 6/7 versus South Africa. The 30-year-old also became the first England captain to take a five-for since Bob Willis in 1983.
Feature image courtesy: BCCI 2021.
