Cricket: England suffer huge defeat as Black Caps' World Test Championship final picture becomes clearer

An incredible bowling spell by England captain Joe Root has failed to save his side from an embarassing defeat. Photo / Photosport

England has suffered one of its biggest ever test match defeats, going down by 10-wickets to India at Ahmedabad and ruling themselves out of the World Test Championship final in the process.

The final test of the four-match series will now determine which side will face New Zealand in the final at Lord's on June 22, with India requiring victory to claim a spot above Australia.

If England win or draw the final test, also at Ahmedabad, on March 4; Australia will progress to the final.

It is now going to be an agonising few days for England. The shortening of this Test to just two days has given the side six days in their Covid bubble to stew over a defeat that could leave lasting damage.

At 1-1 in the series, England twice had a grip on the game only to lose by 10 wickets in their first two-day Test for more than 20 years and the quickest match in terms of balls bowled since 1935 with 17 wickets falling on overnight.

When England won the toss they were gifted the best batting conditions and reached 74 for two but were 112 all out; their techniques not good enough when the pitch was playable. That was chance No 1.

Joe Root's five for eight, the first five wicket haul by an England captain since Bob Willis in 1983, saw India crumble from 114/3 to 145 all out, just a 33 run lead. That was chance No 2.

But if Root, a bowler with an average of 47, can take 5/8 what would high-quality spinners such as Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin do? Wreak havoc and leave English confidence facing spin destroyed was the answer, as England were bowled out for 81, their lowest total in India and a match aggregate of only 193. What would Bob Willis the commentator have made of it? I think we know.

England have now been dismissed five times in a row for under 200, only the third time that has happened since 1904, with 44 of 50 wickets falling to spinners. Their state of mind can be summed up by so many beaten by straight balls, the psychological damage done by the big turners.

Set 49 to win, India skipped to victory in 7.4 overs, Rohit Sharma whacking Root for six for the winning runs. Patel was man of the match for his 11 wickets, Ashwin took his 400th to add to Indian joy.

Somehow England must rally themselves.

"We have to make sure there are no scars," said Root. They have to remember they can still draw the series, a result they would have taken at the start.

Perhaps they can chalk this Test up as a freak, a game of chance they lost on the turn of a couple of bad cards. But it is harder to ignore the sharp decline from making 578 to scores of 178, 134, 164, 112 and 81. There was also a hangover from the second Test in England's first innings so they have to change whatever mental approach they took into this game.

They can blame the pitch which deteriorated and served its purpose for India but made a joke of Test cricket. But really they had opportunities and let them slide, picking the wrong team with four seamers in a game when 28 of 30 wickets fell to spinners, India's sharing 19 for 145.