SOUTHAMPTON: Moeen Ali spun England to victory as they ended a run of 10 Tests without a win by beating India by 266 runs in the third Test here on Thursday.

Moeen took six for 67 in 20.4 overs, including a spell of four for 17 in 22 balls as England completed a crushing win that saw them level the five-match series at 1-1.

India, chasing what would have been a new fourth innings record winning total of 445, were bowled out for 178 before lunch on the fifth day.

After resuming on 112-4, India collapsed as they lost their final six wickets for 66 runs inside 25 overs on Thursday, with only Ajinkya Rahane (52 not out) offering much in the way of resistance.

“It’s been a really good week, I had a good feeling coming into it but we almost played the perfect game,” under pressure England captain Alastair Cook said. “It does not mean we have cracked it but it was pretty good.

“Moeen Ali’s bowling has come on leaps and bounds this summer, he’s fronted up to the responsibility, worked really hard and responded well.

“Getting six wickets to win the game, you couldn’t ask for more and Jimmy bowled brilliantly.”

Meanwhile, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni confirmed Ishant Sharma, the seven-wicket hero of their 95-run win in the second Test at Lord’s, would not be fit for the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on Aug 7 after missing this match through injury.

“Ishant definitely won’t be fit for the fourth Test,” Dhoni said.

India, 1-0 up after their 95-run win in the second Test at Lord’s, resumed knowing the most any side had made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia at St John’s in 2002-03.

Rahane was 18 not out and Rohit Sharma dropped on five by James Anderson after he put down a caught and bowled chance, six not out.

But India lost a wicket without adding to their score.

Man-of-the-match Anderson, who took five wickets in India’s first innings, struck with his third ball on Thursday when Sharma, feeling for the ball a long way outside off stump, was caught behind by Test debutant wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.

And it was not long before the Lancashire duo combined again as Dhoni (6) was undone by an excellent full-length delivery that nipped away off the seam.

Moeen then trumped that return in spectacular style on a wearing pitch.

Left-hander Ravindra Jadeja (15) was bowled trying to hit against the turn and, four balls later, Bhuvneshwar Kumar fell for a duck after an inside edge ballooned off his pad to Anderson in the gully.

It was not long before 152-8 became 178 all out, Moeen bowling tailenders Mohammed Shami (0) and Pankaj Singh (9).

That gave Moeen, primarily a batsman, 15 wickets in the series at an impressive average of 26.46, with only Anderson (16 wickets) a more successful bowler in the opening three Test.

England, without a Test win for nearly a year since beating Australia by 74 runs in Durham to clinch the 2013 Ashes on home soil, dominated this match.

They made 569-7 declared featuring Ian Bell’s 167 and Gary Ballance’s Test-best 156 before dismissing India for 330, with Anderson marking his 32nd birthday on Wednesday with 5-53.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

A.N. Cook c Dhoni b Jadeja 95 S.D. Robson c Jadeja b Shami 26 G.S. Ballance c Dhoni b Sharma 156 I.R. Bell c Pankaj b Kumar 167 J.E. Root c Dhoni b Kumar 3 Moeen Ali c Rahane b Kumar 12 J.C. Buttler b Jadeja 85 C.R. Woakes not out 7 EXTRAS (B-5, LB-11, W-2) 18 TOTAL (for seven wkts decl, 163.4 overs) 569 FALL OF WKTS: 1-55, 2-213, 3-355, 4-378, 5-420, 6-526, 7-569.

DID NOT BAT: C.J. Jordan, S.C.J. Broad, J.M. Anderson.

BOWLING: Kumar 37-10-101-3 (2w); Mohammed Shami 33-4-123-1; Pankaj Singh 37-8-146-0; Sharma 9-0-26-1; Jadeja 45.4-10-153-2; Dhawan 2-0-4-0.

INDIA (1st Innings):

M. Vijay b Broad 35
S. Dhawan c Cook b Anderson 6
C.A. Pujara c Buttler b Broad 24
V. Kohli c Cook b Anderson 39
A.M. Rahane c sub b Moeen 54
R.G. Sharma c Broad b Moeen 28
M. S. Dhoni c Buttler b Anderson 50
R.A. Jadeja lbw b Anderson 31
B. Kumar c Ballance b Broad 19
Mohammed Shami c Buttler b Anderson 5
Pankaj Singh not out 1
EXTRAS (B-16, LB-14, W-8) 38
TOTAL (all out, 106.1 overs) 330
FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-56, 3-88, 4-136, 5-210, 6-217, 7-275, 8-313, 9-329.

BOWLING: Anderson 26.1-10-53-5; Broad 25-7-66-3; Jordan 17-4-59-0 (8w); Woakes 20-8-60-0; Ali 18-0-62-2.

ENGLAND (2nd Innings):

S.D. Robson c Dhawan b Kumar 13
A.N. Cook not out 70
G.S. Ballance c Pujara b Jadeja 38
I.R. Bell b Jadeja 23
J.E. Root b Jadeja 56
EXTRAS (B-4, W-1) 5
TOTAL (for four wkts decl, 40.4 overs) 205
FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-80, 3-106, 4-205.

BOWLING: Kumar 10-0-59-1; Pankaj Singh 10-4-33-0; Mohammed Shami 4-0-24-0 (1w); Sharma 5-0-32-0; Jadeja 10.4-1-52-3; Vijay 1-0-1-0.

INDIA (2nd Innings, overnight 112-4):

M. Vijay run out 12
S. Dhawan c Jordan b Root 37
C.A. Pujara c Jordan b Moeen 2
V. Kohli c Buttler b Moeen 28
A.M. Rahane not out 52
R.G. Sharma c Buttler b Anderson 6
M. S. Dhoni c Buttler b Anderson 6
R.A. Jadeja b Moeen 15
B. Kumar c Anderson b Moeen 0
Mohammed Shami b Moeen 0
Pankaj Singh b Moeen 9
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-1) 11
TOTAL (all out, 66.4 overs) 178
FALL OF WKTS: 1-26, 2-29, 3-80, 4-89, 5-112, 6-120, 7-152, 8-152, 9-154.

BOWLING: Anderson 14-5-24-2; Broad 13-6-22-0 (1w); Woakes 11-3-23-0; Ali 20.4-4-67-6; Jordan 5-0-22-0; Root 2-0-5-1; Ballance 1-0-5-0.

RESULT: England won by 266 runs.

UMPIRES: M. Erasmus (South Africa) and Rod Tucker (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: R.J. Bailey (England).

MATCH REFEREE: D.C. Boon (Australia).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: James Anderson.

FIRST TEST: Trent Bridge, match drawn.

SECOND TEST: Lord’s, India won by 95 runs.

FOURTH TEST: Old Trafford, Aug 7-11.

FIFTH TEST: The Oval, Aug 15-19.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014