England wrapped up a 227-run victory against India in the first Test in Chennai to register their sixth straight Test victory away from home.
Having set a challenging target of 420 runs on a crumbling and dusty MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch, the visitors bundled out Virat Kohli-led Team India for 192 in 58.1 overs on the fifth and final day to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
This was England’s fourth win in Chennai-the most by any visiting team at an Indian venue.
Most wins for visiting team at a ground in India
| Team | Ground | Match | Won | Lost | Draw |
| England | Chennai | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Australia | Nehru Stadium, Madras | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| England | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| England | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| West Indies | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Leader Root guides England to a memorable Test win
England cricket team captain Joe Root led from the front as his 218-run knock in the first innings laid the foundation of the visitor's well-deserved victory in Chennai. The 30-year-old became the first batsman ever to score a double century in their 100th Test.
Most runs in an innings in 100th Test
| Player | Runs | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 218 | v India | Chennai | 5 February 2021 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) | 184 | v India | Bengaluru | 24 March 2005 |
| Gordon Greenidge (WI) | 149 | v England | St. Johns | 12 April 1990 |
| Javed Miandad (PAK) | 145 | v India | Lahore | 01 December 1989 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 143* | v South Africa | Sydney | 02 January 2006 |
| Hashim Amla (SA) | 134 | v Sri Lanka | Johannesburg | 12 January 2017 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 131 | v England | The Oval | 19 July 2012 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 120 | v South Africa | Sydney | 02 January 2006 |
With his double hundred, Root also became just the second England player to score a double ton in a single Test season- 2020/21 after Wally Hammond in 1932/33 and 1928/29.
The right-handed batsman also became the second captain to smash three consecutive 150-plus scores after Australian cricket legend Sir Don Bradman.
Interestingly, Root is the seventh batsman to record 150-plus scores in three consecutive Tests as he joined an elite list with Tom Latham, Kumar Sangakkara (4 consecutive Tests), Mudassar Nazar, Zaheer Abbas, Don Bradman, and Wally Hammond.
Since making his Test debut in India 2012, Root has now scored 842 runs in seven matches on Indian soil. In the last six innings that the England skipper has played in Asia, he has scored 684 runs, indicating how much he loves to bat in the Indian subcontinent.
Meanwhile, Root has now amassed 1,679 runs against India in the 17 Test matches at an average of 62.19.
First home defeat for India when Ashwin takes a 5-wicket haul
Interestingly, this is the first time India has lost a match at home where off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a 5-wicket haul.
Ashwin took six wickets for 61 runs as England were bowled out for 178 an hour before close on the fourth day on Monday. This was the 34-year-old’s 28th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
The Chennai-born cricketer now has 386 wickets in the longest format after just 75 matches. This is the second most wickets in Tests by any player after 75 Tests.
Most wickets after 75 Tests
| Player | Wickets | 5W |
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 420 | 34 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) | 386 | 28 |
| Dale Steyn (SA) | 383 | 24 |
| Richard Hadlee (NZ) | 378 | 33 |
| Glenn McGrath | 358 | 22 |
Interestingly, Ashwin now has the second most five-wicket hauls (28) after 75 Tests along with Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath. The left-arm spinner had finished his Test career with 433 wickets and 34 five-wicket hauls.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / ICC
