England Level Series With Emphatic Win

England beat India by 10 wickets in the second Test at the to level the four-match series 1-1Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

India, who started the fourth day on 117/7, could only add 25 runs to their total, as the visitors took the remaining three wickets in quick time. Monty Panesar finished with a career-best match haul of 11/210. England were then set a paltry target of 57 to win the match and openers Alastair Cook (18 not out) and Nick Compton (30 not out) achieved that in just 10 overs.

The triumph was a thoroughly deserved one for England, who responded well after losing the toss. Following India's nine-wicket win in the first Test, MS Dhoni backed his spinners and batsmen to inflict another crushing defeat on the visitors on a spin-friendly pitch but Cook had other plans. For England, this win comes six years after they won at the same venue, which was incidentally the last Test India lost at home, despite winning the toss.

Earlier in the day, India was bowled out for 142 runs as Panesar took six wickets, while Greame Swann had four to his name, leaving the English spinners with 19 of the 20 wickets in the match. Opener Gautam Gambhir, who was the last man out in India's second innings, was the hosts' top scorer with 65.

Cook and Compton overhauled the target with ease to complete the visitors' domination in conditions tailor-made for the hosts' spinners. The winning runs of the remarkable victory came through four byes off Ravichandran Ashwin, triggering scenes of jubilation in the England dressing room.

Kevin Pietersen was adjudged Man of the Match for his spectacular knock of 186, which helped England post a first innings lead of 86. The third Test will begin on 5 December at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Summary