LONDON: Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara produced a defensive masterclass to maintain India alive however England appeared in command of the second Take a look at after an enthralling fourth day’s play at Lord’s on Sunday.
India had been 181-6, a lead of 154, when dangerous gentle stopped play with Rishabh Pant, their final recognised batsman, on 14 and Ishant Sharma on 4.
India started their second innings 27 runs behind and by the point that they had erased that deficit, each in-form openers had been again within the pavilion.
Mark Wooden (3-40) drew first blood when he dismissed Ok.L. Rahul caught behind for 5 with a intelligent change of size.
His subsequent over turned out to be an eventful one which ended with Rohit Sharma being dismissed for 21.
Sharma dragged a chest-high ball from outdoors the off-stump and pulled it for an audacious six, however Wooden had the final chuckle on this duel.
The final ball of that over was the same one and this time Sharma couldn’t center the ball and Moeen Ali took a tumbling catch at deep sq. leg.
India wanted skipper Virat Kohli to guide by instance, similar to his reverse quantity Joe Root whose unbeaten 180 was the bedrock of England’s first-innings whole of 391.
However Sam Curran had different concepts. Kohli performed a few beautiful drives in his 20 earlier than Curran discovered the sting of the Indian captain’s bat.
Pujara went into the match with no fifty in his final 10 innings and vice-captain Rahane has additionally been wanting runs.
Often called accumulators in a line-up stuffed with aggressive batsmen, each demonstrated their grit in a dogged 100-run partnership.
Pujara, who made 45, wanted 35 balls to get off the mark however soaked up sufficient deliveries to blunt the English assault.
Rahane soldiered on on the different finish, aided by a reprieve on 31 when Jonny Bairstow spill a tricky probability at level.
They stored England at bay for practically 50 overs earlier than Wooden ended Pujara’s 206-ball vigil with an unplayable supply that the batsman might solely deflect to slide.
Moeen dismissed Rahane for 61 and Ravindra Jadeja for 3 to show India’s tail.
Wooden injured his proper shoulder whereas fielding and had it closely strapped.
The rain-marred opening match of the five-Take a look at collection resulted in a draw.
On Saturday England captain Joe Root smashed an unbeaten 180 for his second hundred of the collection to assist his workforce eclipse India’s first innings whole of 364. The house aspect posted 391, whereas using on Root’s majestic knock.
The 30-year-old turned the second English batsman after Alastair Cook dinner to attain 9,000 Take a look at runs. His 22nd Take a look at hundred was studded with 18 fours.
Ishant Sharma despatched again Moeen Ali and Sam Curran in successive deliveries however Root stored going on the different finish. Realising he was operating out of companions, Root performed a cheeky reverse ramp shot towards Siraj to attain a boundary over the slip cordon, and adopted it with a second successive 4.
James Anderson survived a 10-ball over from Bumrah however misplaced his off-stump to Mohammed Shami to be the final man out.
Scoreboard
INDIA (1st Innings) 364 (Ok.L. Rahul 129, R.G. Sharma 83, V. Kohli 42; J.M. Anderson 5-62).
ENGLAND (1st Innings):
R.J. Burns lbw b Shami 49
D.P. Sibley c Rahul b Siraj 11
Haseeb Hameed b Siraj 0
J.E. Root not out 180
J.M. Bairstow c Kohli b Siraj 57
J.C. Buttler b I. Sharma 23
Moeen Ali c Kohli b I. Sharma 27
S.M. Curran c R. Sharma b I. Sharma 0
O.E. Robinson lbw b Siraj 6
M.A, Wooden run out 5
J.M. Anderson b Shami 0
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-6, W-5, NB-17) 33
TOTAL (all out, 128 overs) 391
FALL OF WKTS: 1-23, 2-23, 3-108, 4-229, 5-283, 6-341, 7-341, 8-357, 9-371.
BOWLING: I. Sharma 24-4-69-3 (1nb); Bumrah 26-6-79-0 (13nb); Mohammed Shami 26-3-95-2 (1nb, 5w); Mohammed Siraj 30-7-94-4; Jadeja 22-1-43-0 (2nb).
INDIA (2nd Innings):
Ok.L. Rahul c Buttler b Wooden 5
R.G. Sharma c Moeen b Wooden 21
C.A. Pujara c Root b Wooden 45
V. Kohli c Buttler b Curran 20
A.M. Rahane c Buttler b Moeen 61
R.R. Pant not out 14
R.A. Jadeja b Moeen 3
I. Sharma not out 4
Extras (b-2, lb-5, nb-1) 8
Complete (for six wkts, 82 overs) 181
FALL OF WKTS: 1-18, 2-27, 3-55, 4-155, 5-167, 6-175.
BOWLING (to-date): Anderson 18-6-23-0; Robinson 10-6-20-0 (1nb); Wooden 14-3-40-3; Curran 15-3-30-1; Moeen Ali 20-1-52-2; Root 5-0-9-0.
Printed in Daybreak, August 16h, 2021
