2nd Test Day 5: Pacer’s help India script a sensational win at Lords; go 1-0 ahead in series
Xtra Time Web Desk: India’s world class pace attack displayed why they are regarded as the best in world cricket at the moment as they scripted a sensational 151 runs over England on the final day of the Lord’s test match. The Indian fast bowling quartet of Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took just 51.5 overs to bundle out England for 120. Kohli and his boys lead the five match series 1-0 with three more tests to go.
It was a match where odds were in favour of England but the cricketing Gods wanted Virat Kohli’s men to script another golden chapter in the history of Indian cricket.
Mohammed Shami (56 no & 1/13 in 10 overs) and Jasprit Bumrah (34 & 3/33 in 15 overs) played innings of their lives and then rocked the England top-order, before Ishant Sharma (2/13 in 10 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (4/32) played their part to perfection to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
This is India’s third Test match win at Lord’s having won earlier in 1986 and 2014 series and they now have six points in the World Test Championship.
Shami and Bumrah achieved the unthinkable of batting England out of the contest by conjuring a record stand of 89 which took team’s total to 298 for 8 and made the target of 272 in two sessions look fairly impossible.
With the ball, they both were joined by the “daddy of the pace pack” Ishant as they had a serious shot at a memorable win after Joe Root’s (33) dismissal of a “jaffa” from Bumrah had England on the mat at 67 for 5 just after tea.
Before that Shami had bowled a leg-cutter for keeps to get Dom Sibley (0) and Bumrah had forced Rory Burns (0) to close his bat for a catch at short mid-off.
It could have been six down soon had Virat Kohli held onto the catch provided by Jos Buttler at first sip but it evaded his reverse cupped palms and Moeen Ali’s edge didn’t matter as Ravindra Jadeja over-stepped.
But then Siraj bowled couple of superb successive outgoing deliveries to get Moeen (13) and Sam Curran (0) to make it 90 for 7 before picking up the final wicket of James Anderson.
Brief scores:
India: 364 all out and 298/8 in 109.3 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 45, Ajinkya Rahane 61, Mohammad Shami 56 not out; Mark Wood 3/51)
