Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his second successive five-wicket haul as India skittled England out cheaply on day two to put themselves in total command of the second Test.

Fifteen wickets tumbled on what look more like a final-day pitch at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, with Moeen Ali (4-128) and Olly Stone both striking twice to bowl India out for 329.

The tourists, leading the four-match series 1-0, were dismissed for only 134 in reply, giving India a first-innings lead of 195 runs in Chennai.

Jack Leach got rid of Shubman Gill but first-innings centurion Rohit Sharma was unbeaten on 25 at stumps, with in complete control on 54-1 - leading by 249 runs.

Ashwin followed up his six-wicket haul in the second innings of the first Test by taking 5-43 in a brilliant exhibition of spin bowling in dream conditions for the spinner, who generated sharp turn and bounce.

What a spell from R Ashwin!

He claimed his 29th Test five-wicket haul – the joint-seventh in the all-time list with Glenn McGrath #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/7ja9lAqG2L

— ICC (@ICC) February 14, 2021

Ishant Sharma (2-22) trapped Rory Burns leg before without scoring and Dom Sibley fell for 16 after India added only 29 runs to their overnight total of 300-6.

Debutant Axar Patel (2-40) claimed the huge scalp of in-form England captain Joe Root, caught by Ashwin at short fine leg for only six to become the spinner's first Test victim.

England were reeling on 39-4 after Ashwin got big turn and bounce to see the back of Dan Lawrence and there were more roars from a crowd of 10,000 when the wily tweaker bowled Ben Stokes (18) early in the afternoon session.

Ollie Pope made 22 before falling to Mohammed Siraj and although Ben Foakes (42 not out) played superbly against the spinners, England were all out from 59.5 overs when Stuart Broad was cleaned up by Ashwin.

Leach snared Gill lbw and Rohit successfully reviewed after he was given out in the same fashion but got an inside edge, while also possibly getting away with it when he padded up not offering a shot, but India are well on course to level the series.

Ashwin turns the screw

Ashwin was outstanding, putting England under huge pressure in such tough conditions as he took his 29th five-wicket Test haul - putting him level with Glenn McGrath in seventh on the all-time list.

Only the great Anil Kumble (350) has more Test wickets than Ashwin in India after the 34-year-old moved past Harbhajan Singh's tally of 265.

Ashwin bowled with great skill, producing drift as well as huge turn, and has now claimed the scalps of 200 left-handers in the longest format, a landmark he reached by bowling Broad. 

Foakes a plus point for struggling tourists

England are staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat after such a magnificent victory at the same venue gave them the perfect start to the series.

Foakes' innings was a positive for the tourists, though, as the wicketkeeper-batsman played with great confidence after getting his chance with Jos Buttler back in England for a rest.

There was a missed stumping chance for the Surrey keeper to remove Rohit on 20 late in the day, but it was anything but easy and he was otherwise very tidy behind the stumps.