India completed a stunning nine-wicket win on day five to take a 1-0 series lead over England in the four-Test series, spurred on by a dramatic morning session and a brisk innings from Cheteshwar Pujara post lunch. Earlier Indian bowlers destroyed English line up as they snapped last five wickets for only 66 runs. Captain Alastair Cook's epic knock of 176 and his 157-run sixth-wicket partnership with the gritty wicket-keeper Matt Prior (91) could only prolong the inevitable, taking the match into the fifth day.

But, as expected in the morning session  the visitors were bowled out for 406, and a target of 77 runs was set for India to win the match. The first innings stunner Pujara-opened the innings in Gautam Gambhir's absence and hastened victory with 41 off 51 balls while Virender Sehwag hit 25 off 21 balls.
 
Pujara set the tone by carving Graeme Swann for a couple of boundaries in the second over, both time getting his wrists into play to whip away deliveries from outside off stump through midwicket with finesse. Sehwag began by cracking Swann for a boundary through covers, and blasted a full toss from Samit Patel for six in the next over. Pujara then flayed Swann for a boundary through cover in the sixth over.

Left-arm spinner Pragya Ojha was the best bowler for India, taking four wickets to add to his fifer in the first innings. While tweakers Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin did maximum damage in dismissing England for 191 in the first innings, the visitors managed to defy the Indians in their second knock.

The series has openly been called a "revenge series" by the players like Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli. And now India has three match more to go to fulfill the ambition. The second game will start in Mumbai from November 23rd .

(AW-Jyotishman)