Ravi Ashwin makes a mockery of criticism of pitch to put India in control - Chris Waters

So tweeted the former Australia batsman Mark Waugh as he watched the second Test between India and England.

Waugh has been one of many observers to castigate the pitch, which has clearly not been built to last five days and palpably favours India’s spinners.

But that criticism tends to look rather less sound when one of those spinners, Ravi Ashwin, goes on to thump 106 with the bat from No 8 and last man Mohammed Siraj starts clubbing sixes.

An unacceptable pitch for Test level?

You decide.

After three days of fascinating, if one-sided cricket, with the pitch failing to camouflage the fact that India have simply played better than England, the scores on the doors do not suggest a game being played on a minefield.

Granted, England’s first innings 134 was not even as many runs as Rohit Sharma managed off his own bat (161) in India’s first innings.

But India’s totals of 329 and 286 hardly take us back to the days of uncovered pitches, and although England closed on 
53-3, set a notional 482 for victory, the pitch is not the reason why England will surely lose this match.

Man for man, India have better resources for the conditions and have used them better, and it is good to see spinners brought into the game and the different challenges presented thereby.

People may quibble whether the balance has been too far in the bowlers’ favour, but the old cliche that it is the same pitch for both teams is a cliche for a reason.

Ashwin’s innings highlighted the gulf in class as India looked to level at 1-1 with two Tests to play.

The tall and powerful 34-year-old, playing at his home ground, actually began life as a batsman before becoming an off-spin bowler now approaching the cusp of 400 Test wickets.

This was Ashwin’s fifth Test hundred and only Ian Botham (five) has done the double of a hundred and a five-wicket haul in the same Test more often than Ashwin, who has now done it three times.

That is testament to his all-round skills and a lovely innings here from 148 balls, which included 14 fours and a six.

After India began the day on 54-1, already a whopping 249 in front, they skidded to 106-6 before Ashwin and Virat Kohli added 96 to turn the screw.

The India captain scored a fine 62 as he seeks to end a run of four consecutive Test defeats in charge, killing any faint notion that England had of somehow winning.

Less impressive was Kohli’s reaction, late in the day, when Joe Root somehow survived an lbw appeal against Axar Patel.

DRS adjudged that Root, playing back to the spinner, was struck outside the line of off stump, which meant that the not-out decision stayed with the on-field umpire.

It was not good enough for Kohli, who remonstrated with the official before coach Ravi Shastri later took up the cudgels.

Considering the state of the match, it was a bit like a football team that is 6-0 up with five minutes left arguing with the referee because he had not given them a penalty.

It is unlikely to make a jot of difference.

Patel did trap Dominic Sibley lbw playing back and then had nightwatchman Jack Leach caught at leg slip for a golden duck, which brought Root to the crease.

Earlier, Leach finished with 4-100 and Moeen Ali 4-98, the pair having stuck at it without carrying the same threat as India’s spinners.

The other wicket in England’s second innings fell to Ashwin, who had Rory Burns caught high in the slips by Kohli as he tried to turn to leg.

Burns is under pressure after a run of low scores and, with Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow available for the third Test in Ahmedabad, it remains to be seen whether England stick or twist with Burns.

This day, however, belonged to Ashwin, who is well on the way to winning the man-of-the-match award despite Sharma’s first innings heroics.

He rode his luck at times – not least when Ben Foakes missed chances to dismiss him in an otherwise impressive display behind the stumps.

The joy on Ashwin’s face when he reached three figures reflected that in the stands and was shared by No 11 Siraj, who seemed almost as pleased as Ashwin himself.

For England, there was nothing to smile about – save for Root’s trademark grin following the lbw reprieve that so infuriated Kohli.