A vintage James Anderson show helped England make a stunning comeback in the rain-curtailed second session to reduce India to 125 for 4 by the time Tea was taken early at Trent Bridge.
India went into the Lunch break at 97 for 1, having just lost their opener Rohit Sharma to a short ball but largely having won a second successive session in the game. However, England and Anderson turned it around spectacularly in a matter of just two deliveries that broke the back of India’s middle-order defence.
The first, a pitched up delivery in the corridor that only looked like an inswinger but held its line and took the edge of Cheteshwar Pujara’s bat who had come forward in defence. The umpires had a check but the low pouch from Jos Buttler was deemed clean and Pujara was on his way moments after taking a review to have an LBW call overturned. The second one – and this would hurt India more – similarly held its line, kissed Kohli’s bat first ball and this time went to the keeper at a comfortable height.
Ajinkya Rahane did well to survive the hattrick ball, but his dodgy running eventually cost India the third wicket in quick succession. He survived early into his innings, and even got three more in overthrows when England missed a direct hit at the bowler’s end, but Rahane paid the price for backing up way too much after being turned down for a single by Rahul. Even a desperate dash back couldn’t beat the perfect throw from Jonny Bairstow at cover-point that struck the middle of middle.
Rahul, meanwhile, raised his hard-fought fifty amidst this collapse and the dark clouds gathering overhead. Soon enough, bad light stopped play for close to 20 minutes and just as resumption looked on the cards, rain arrived right on cue to force early Tea with India still 58 behind England’s first innings score of 183.
Brief scores: England183 (Joe Root 64; Jasprit Bumrah 4-46) lead India 125/4 (KL Rahul 57*; James Anderson 2-15) by 58 runs.
© Cricbuzz
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