Indians suffer Jimmy jolt

Visitors manage to add just 88 to overnight score of 276-3 as veteran England pacer Anderson claims fifer; hosts 119-3 at the end of Day 2 after Mohd Siraj’s early blows

James Anderson’s latest five-wicket haul kept England in the second Test against India at Lord’s on Friday following some poor fielding by his teammates.

Anderson, already England’s most successful Test bowler, took 5-62 in 29 overs as India were dismissed for 364 on the second day after losing the toss. 

England were 119-3 at the end of Day Two, trailing by 245 runs. Skipper Joe Root was unbeaten on 48. Keeping him company was Jonny Bairstow with six. India pacer Mohammed Siraj struck early, dismissing Dom Sibley (11) and Haseeb Hameed (0) off consecutive deliveries to put England on the back foot. 

Root leads from the front

However, Root and opener Rory Burns (49) steadied the ship with a 84-run partnership for the third wicket.

Earlier, England finally saw the back of KL Rahul after the India opener was out for 129 after adding just two runs to his overnight score. India resumed on 276-3 after Rahul had batted in largely difficult conditions throughout the whole of Thursday’s play. 

Mohd Siraj celebrates the dismissal of England’s Haseeb Hameed yesterday. Pic/AFP

But having scored two off Friday’s first ball, from Ollie Robinson, Rahul mistimed a drive, a shot he had previously played so well, off the seamer’s next delivery low to Sibley at short cover. 

It was the end of a more than six-and-a-half hour innings of 250 balls that included 12 fours and a six, with Rahul also sharing an excellent first-wicket partnership of 126 with Rohit Sharma. 

His innings followed Rahul’s 84 in the rain-marred drawn first Test of this five-match in Nottingham last week, where he was only selected after Mayank Agarwal was hit on the head while batting in the nets at Trent Bridge. 

Meanwhile Robinson, in just his third Test, now had a second prize wicket in this innings after removing India captain Virat Kohli for 42 with the new ball late Thursday. 

Rahane struggles

India’s 278-4 soon became 282-5 when Ajinkya Rahane, looking a shadow of the batsman who scored a Test hundred at Lord’s in 2014, fell for his overnight one when edging Anderson to England captain Joe Root at first slip. 

Rishabh Pant, renowned as an attacking batsman, signalled his intentions by driving his second ball, from Robinson, down the ground for four. Pant had fit five boundaries in his 37, including five fours, when he cut at a wide ball from fast bowler Mark Wood and was caught behind by opposing wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. 

Jadeja’s resistance

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (40) threatened to take the game away from the hosts, but Wood didn’t let that happen. 

India’s 331-6 then became 336-7 when Mohammed Shami fell for a duck after tamely chipping off-spinner Moeen Ali to midwicket. 

Ishant, replacing the injured Shardul Thakur in the only change to India’s XI, frustrated England for an hour, although he was dropped down the legside by Buttler, with Hameed missing a run-out chance next ball. 

Anderson took matters into his own hands by having Ishant lbw for eight before the swing specialist had Jasprit Bumrah caught behind for a duck to complete his 31st five-wicket haul in Tests and seventh at Lord’s. 

It was a fine effort given Anderson had come into the game nursing a thigh problem, with England already without Stuart Broad after a pre-match calf injury that meant his longstanding new-ball partner was now out of the rest of this five-Test series.

Brief scores
India 364 (KL Rahul 129,  R Sharma 83, V Kohli 42, R Jadeja 40; J Anderson 5-62, O Robinson 2-73) v England 119-3 (R Burns 49, J Root 48*; M Siraj 2-34)

Also Read: These 10 Indian cricketers scored a century at Lord's

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