TEA - DAY 4
Eng 18-1 (8 ovs) & 319 vs Ind 295 & 342 (Target: 319)
- Scorecard
At tea on Day 4, England are 18 for one in eight overs with 301 runs still needed for victory.
Cook is batting on five from 17 balls and Ballance has made one. The hosts lost the wicket of Robson for seven, who was trapped leg before by Jadeja in the seventh over.
Jadeja had earlier smashed 68 from 57 balls to put India's drivers seat. He along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52) took India to 342 in their second innings setting England a challenging 319 for victory.
The left-arm spinner will surely be the bowler to watch out for as far as England is concerned with a lot of rough patches to work on.
- Scorecard
Dhoni not happy with Shami's first spell as he is taken off after just two overs with the new ball and makes way for Ishant Sharma, who starts with a tidy over first up.
India introduce spin early in the form of Jadeja, who strikes with his very first delivery.
Robson is caught half-forward as he plays down the wrong line and struck in line of the stumps to be trapped leg before wicket for seven.
Gary Ballance is the new batsman and he gets off the mark with a single. Jadeja then gets one to jump off length as Cook tries to come forward and it hits it gloves but falls safely on the leg side.
Jadeja using the rough to good effect as the ball spins past the face of the bat down the leg side for four leg byes.
Ishant ends the session with a superb delivery with Cook lucky not to have edged it.
- Scorecard
The under-pressure Alastair Cook walks out to open the innings with Sam Robson, who has done well in his short Test career so far.
The man of the moment Bhuvneshwar Kumar to open the bowling for India as Robson plays out a maiden over, leaving most of the deliveries.
Mohammed Shami to bowl the second over. He starts with a good delivery to Cook but the next ball is short and wide which the left-hander hits through point for a four to get his team off the mark.
Robson gets off the mark with a single from the last ball of the third over before he flicks Shami through midwicket for his first four as England reach 10 for no loss in four overs.
19:33 Ind 342-all out (103.1 ovs) vs Eng 319 | ScorecardStokes ends the Indian innings as Kumar goes for another big shot but gets an edge and is caught by Bell at second slip.
He falls for a good knock of 52, having hit eight fours in his 71-ball knock.
India lose three quick wickets but finish on 342 in their second innings to set England a huge 319 for victory.
They would need to record their second highest run chase in Test cricket and also the second highest chase at Lord's.
Interestingly, England scored 319 runs in their first innings but the pitch won't be as easy this time around on a pitch which is doing tricks at times.
Mohammed Shami does not last long as Ali gets him caught behind for a duck as India lose their ninth wicket.
Bhuvneshwar completes his fifty in some style, from 65 balls, lofting Stokes back over his head for a boundary. This is third half-century in four innings in the two Test matches of the series so far.
Kumar now trying a few wild shots but he is beaten as he attempts to swipe a short ball from Stokes.
19:14 Jadeja falls for 57-ball 68, India lose 8th wicket: Ind 338-8 (100 ovs) vs Eng 319 | ScorecardJadeja, on 66 from 54 balls, gets a lifeline as Ian Bell puts down a tough chance at midwicket as the left-hander whipped Stokes on the leg side.
Kumar is hit on the body by a short delivery from Stokes which comes in sharply but he is fine to continue.
With the pacers going for runs, England turn back to their spinner Ali to make the breakthrough.
Jadeja is finally dismissed as he top edges the pull shot off Stokes and is caught by Cook running back from slips.
Jadeja walks back after a whirlwind innings of 68 from just 57 balls, during which he hit nine fours. He put on 99 runs from as many deliveries for the eighth wicket with Kumar to guide India out of trouble and also give them the upperhand.
There is no stopping Kumar who flays another boundary over the thirdman region to inch closer to another half-century.
Three fielders back on the fence on the leg side but Jadeja is not shying from attempting the pull shot against Plunkett which he misses. He gets the third ball over the fielder at mid-on for three runs before Kumar takes a single from the last ball to retain strike.
Broad attempts a short ball to Kumar as he targets his body but it slides down the leg side for four byes.
Kumar comes forward to drive a full delivery but gets an edge past the slips for another boundary through the vacant thirdman region.
The Indian balcony is all smiles as they enjoy Jadeja and Kumar take on the English bowlers.
Wasim Akram is amazed as to why England still don't have a fielder at thirdman and he is right. Kumar steers the last ball past the slips for another four through that same region to take his score to 44.
Interestingly, the wagon wheel of the Indian innings shows that 22 percent of the runs have been scored through the thirdman region but England still don't feel the need to have a fielder in that position.
England have requested a change of ball and the umpires accept their request as another relatively new ball is handed to Plunkett.
The Jadeja-Kumar partnership is worth 68 runs from 66 balls and this is Kumar's fourth 50-run partnership in four innings.
Kumar is playing some splendid shots as he comes forward and drives a half-volley from Plunkett through the covers for a boundary as India continue their march.
Nothing is work against Jadeja who is finding the gaps at will. He steers Broad wide of thirdman for two runs and then takes a single on the off-side.
Kumar also picking up the pace as he plays a cracking straight drive past mid-on as the two batsmen run four before the fielder stops it just short of the ropes. He flicks the last ball through midwicket for two runs to take India to 316 for seven in 95 overs, to take the lead to 292 runs.
Jadeja continues his attack on Anderson as he lofts the first ball back over the pacer's head for a four. Two balls later he smashes one over point for another boundary. As expected Anderson tries the bouncer which Jadeja pulls but hits umpire Dharmasena at square leg and gets just a single.
Kumar then upper cuts the last ball over the slips for a four to take his score to 25 as Anderson goes for 13 runs in that over.
India have raced past the 300-run mark, with their last fifty has come from just 44 balls as Jadeja went after the English bowlers.
Anderson to kick-off the post-lunch session with England desperate to finish off the Indian tailenders without too much addition to the total.
Jadeja defends the first ball but pulls the next to deep square leg for a single. Kumar nudges the third ball to fine leg region for two runs but he prefers to duck under the bouncer and does the same off the last ball.
Jadeja looking for the big hits as he gets an inside edge for two runs on the leg side. He turns the next ball from Plunkett to deep midwicket for another couple to take India's lead past the 250-run mark.
Jadeja then lofts a full delivery over the off-side for a boundary take his score to 46 for his career-best score in Tests. A single follows which takes Jadeja's score to 47, from just 37 balls with the help of seven fours.
India are 279 for seven in 90 overs having stretched their lead to 255 runs.
LUNCH - DAY 4
Ind 266-7 (87 ovs) vs Eng 319 | Scorecard
At lunch on Day 4, India have reached 267 for seven in 88 overs to swell their lead to 243 runs.
Jadeja adopted a positive approach in the morning session to smash a quickfire 37 not out from 30 balls, hitting six fours. Bhuvneshwar, who was dropped on two, made 13 from 19 balls with the duo putting on an unbroken stand of 32 runs from as many deliveries to keep the scoreboard moving.
While India lost three wickets in the morning session, they scored at nearly four runs per overs, hitting 98 runs in 25 overs.
England would be hoping to finish off India's innings as soon as possible after the lunch break to keep the target well within limits.
Broad gets one to rear off from length as it hits Kumar on the gloves and goes on the leg side for a single. Jadeja then hits the next one through midwicket for a couple and keeps the strike with a single from the last ball.
Jadeja looks eager to get after Anderson as he comes down the track to the pacer, makes room and slams a full delivery through the covers for a four. A single each to the two batsmen before Jadeja survives a huge appeal for LBW with a hint of inside edge on that occasion.
Kumar (2) edges the third delivery from Broad which goes through the hands of Root at gully for a single. That went quickly to him as he looked to standing a bit closer than normal and England could pay dearly for this lapse.
Broad bowls a quick bouncer to Jadeja which goes miles over his head and is called a wide for height. The next ball is pitched up and Jadeja lofts it back over the bowler's head for a boundary. Two balls later, the left-hander pulls a short ball off the front foot over midwicket for another four to race to 36 from 27 balls with the help of six fours.
India are scoring some quick runs against the new ball to reach 256 for seven in 86 overs to stretch their lead to 232 runs.
Kumar plays a lovely drive through the covers for a four before Anderson bowls a quick bouncer which the right-hander fends fine on the leg side for a couple. He clips the last ball through midwicket as it slows down near the ropes but the two batsmen run four.
India have hit 31 runs from the last four runs as India's lead continues to grow.
England take the second new ball straightaway as Anderson comes back into the attack. Vijay takes a single from the second ball before Jadeja comes down the track and flicks it through square leg for one -- no love lost between the two! Anderson follows with two shorts ball which Jadeja blocks comfortably.
Vijay plays another lovely cover drive for three runs off Broad before Jadeja flicks the last ball fine off his hips for a four to race to 19 from 17 balls.
India are dealt a big blow in the form of Vijay, who is caught behind by Prior as he pokes his bat at one outside the off-stump.
He walks back to a huge ovation after a splendid innings 95 from 247 balls, having hit 11 fours, and was unlucky to miss out on a deserved century.
Out walks the in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who averages 78 in the series with three half-centuries to his credit.
Vijay continues to bat solidly as he sweeps Ali for two runs and then takes a single. Ravindra Jadeja then comes down the track and hits it through midwicket for a four. He then charges the next ball but gets a thick outside edge which falls just wide of the fielder running back from point for three runs.
Vijay steers the last ball through thirdman for a couple to get 12 runs from the over.
Vijay then chips a full delivery from Plunkett straight back past the bowler for three runs before Jadeja crashes the last ball through the covers for a four to take India's lead past the 200-run mark as they reach 225 for six in 80 overs.
Vijay is playing an important innings, on 91 from 237 balls, as he closes in on another century -- his second of the series.
With four overs to go for the second new ball, off-spinner Moeen Ali comes into the attack.
Binny (0) gifts his wicket away as he tries to loft Ali down the ground but mistimes it on the off-side as Cook runs back from mid-off and holds on to a good catch. That was a poor shot from Binny and he should have looked to milk a few runs off Ali before England took the new ball.
England back on top as India lose two wickets in the space of 11 deliveries.
Anderson also gets a break as Ben Stokes comes back into the attack. A full wide delivery is sent crashing through the covers by Vijay who moves into the 80s as India continue to build their lead.
Plunkett makes the first breakthrough of the day as Dhoni gets an edge and is caught by Ian Bell in the slips for a patient innings of 19 from 86 balls, after he put on 79 runs for the fifth wicket with Vijay.
India are 202 for five in 76 overs for an overall lead of 178 runs with five wickets still in hand.
Stuart Binny gets a promotion in the batting order as he comes ahead of Ravindra Jadeja.
After a hat-trick of maiden overs, India manage to break the shackles courtesy of Vijay, who edges one past the slips for a four to take his score to 71.
Dhoni gets his first runs of the day as he gloves Anderson to fine leg region for a couple, to move to 14, in the sixth over of the day.
The first bowling change of the day as Liam Plunkett replaces Broad. Vijay is as watchful as ever but not letting any scoring opportunity go waste as he punches a full delivery down the ground for a wonderful boundary.
Stuart Broad to start off proceedings on Day 4 and facing him will be Murali Vijay with Dhoni at the other end.
He guides the first ball with soft hands past the slips for a boundary while the next ball slips down the leg side which Vijay looks to steer fine but it hits his thigh pads and beats wicketkeeper Matt Prior for four leg byes to take the Indian lead past the 150-run mark. He flicks the fourth and last ball through midwicket for a couple of twos as 12 runs come from the first over of the day.
James Anderson to bowl from the Pavilion End and he starts with a maiden over to Dhoni and Broad follows it up with another maiden to Vijay.
Ind 169-4 (63 ovs) vs Eng 319 | Scorecard Murali Vijay (59) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (12) will resume on Day 4 with India 145 runs ahead with six second-innings wickets left as they aim to extend England's run without a Test victory to 10 matches and go 1-0 up in the series, at Lord's, on Sunday.
The second match of the five-Test series remains finely poised heading into the fourth day, the visitors finishing at 169 for four in 63 overs.
Having taken a 24-run lead, England bowled with greater accuracy than in India's first innings, when they wasted their advantage on a green-tinged pitch that is now showing a touch of variable bounce.
After getting rid of Shikhar Dhawan before tea, England's four-strong seam attack had shown signs of tiredness on a warm London afternoon, having bowled a combined 222 overs on a dead pitch in the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge.
Just as Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara started to look set, however, a double strike by Liam Plunkett injected some much-needed life into the England side.
First he had Pujara (43) feather an edge through to Matt Prior, before moving the next ball in off the pitch, hitting Virat Kohli's stumps with the batsman not playing a shot.
Next to go was first-innings centurion Ajinkya Rahane, given out caught by Prior off Stuart Broad on five despite the ball hitting his arm-guard, the third wicket to fall in the space of five runs.
While Vijay continued to look steady at one end, captain Dhoni rode his luck, surviving two lbw shouts from Plunkett in one over as he insisted on playing as few balls as possible.
Vijay passed 50 off 162 balls, while Dhoni knuckled down to offer the opener valuable support as India aim for a lead of at least 300.
0 comments:
Post a Comment