Anderson, Woakes strike to bowl out India for 107
>> LONDON: James Anderson took five wickets and Chris Woakes dismissed Virat Kohli as India were bowled out for just 107 on the second day of the second Test against England at Lord’s on Friday.
Anderson’s return of five wickets for 20 runs in 13.2 overs left him just one dismissal shy of becoming the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets at Lord’s.
Woakes, recalled in place of fellow pace-bowling all-rounder Ben Stokes, omitted because of his ongoing trial for affray, removed India captain Kohli (23) and Hardik Pandya (11) in extraordinary fashion on his way to two for 19 in six overs.
In both cases he had the batsmen caught by Jos Buttler the very next delivery after the second slip had dropped each of them, with the ball going for four.
Woakes, 29, missed out on England’s 31-run win in the first Test of a five-match series at Edgbaston, his Warwickshire home ground, because of fitness concerns after knee and thigh injuries.
“The first game back can always be tricky, especially when you’ve got world-class batsmen to come up against,” said Anderson. “But he handled the task brilliantly.”
England captain Joe Root decided to field when he won the toss, a combination of cloudy skies and a greentinged pitch were ideal for Anderson.
“Some days it hoops round,” Anderson told reporters.
“With the experience we’ve had of bowling on flat decks and the ball doing nothing, when you get the opportunity like that you lick your lips and try to show off your skills.
“We exploit those conditions as well as anyone in the world.”
India’s Ajinkya Rahane, who was caught at first slip by Alastair Cook off Anderson for 18, said the conditions were just about as tough for batting as they could be. “I thought the wicket, because of the weather we cannot control, it was to bat on,” he said.
“The first half [of the day], when the game was on and off, it was difficult for the batting team to switch on and off.
“I would like to give credit to the English bowling team — James Anderson, Stuart Broad — they bowled really well as a unit,” Rahane added.
After rain meant there was no play on Thursday, Anderson struck with the fifth ball of the match when Murali Vijay, aiming legside, was undone by late outswing and bowled for a duck.
Anderson then had KL Rahul (eight) caught behind, with India now 10 for two.
Soon afterwards, rain stopped play with Cheteshwar Pujara, recalled after Shikhar Dhawan was dropped, and Kohli both one not out.
The last thing India needed when play resumed was a run out. Yet that was what happened off the last of the 12 balls bowled between lunch and tea. Pujara, who has shown in the past he can cope with typical English conditions, set off for a single off Anderson.
Kohli responded, only to change his mind and retreat. England debutant Ollie Pope kept his composure. The 20-year-old sprinted in from point to remove the bails rather than hit at the stumps.