SECOND TEST
A STUNNING five-wicket haul by Jimmy Anderson has resurrected England’s hopes of winning this rain-hit second Test against India.
In a contest that has so far been dominated by bad weather, a deluge of wickets on the second day saw Virat Kohli’s shell-shocked tourists dismissed for just 107.
Anderson’s haul of 5-20, that leaves him just one wicket short of becoming the first bowler to take 100 in Tests at Lord’s, did the majority of the damage.
But the 36-year-old swing bowler was ably assisted by Chris Woakes, whose spell of 2-19 in an extended final session included the key scalp of India skipper Kohli.
It means that despite a firstday washout, Joe Root’s team, 1-0 up after winning last week’s first Test at Edgbaston, have a genuine chance of victory here even though just 35.2 overs have been bowled so far in the match.
With the forecast set fair for today, it will be the turn of England’s batsmen to drive home the advantage given to them despite two stoppages for rain spanning more than five hours.
This was a day in three parts – all interspersed by showers – with the first dominated by Anderson, the second by a horrendous run-out of Cheteshwar Pujara and the third by Woakes and Anderson again.
It may have begun in bright sunshine but it lasted only 31 minutes before the weather intervened.
In the 6.3 overs possible it was Anderson, swinging the new ball with almost absurd ease, who struck twice.
The first was the result of an absolutely stunning away swinger that bowled Murali Vijay off the fifth ball of the day. The second saw KL Rahul, deceived by late away swing, caught behind. As the heavens opened, India were 11-2.
After a delay of more than two hours, the players returned for 12 balls, during which Kohli and Pujara groped around trying to find the ball as Anderson and Stuart Broad terrorised them under leaden skies. Kohli, in particular, seemed reluctant to face Anderson, who dismissed him four times during India’s last tour of England in 2014.
In the first over back, Kohli, off strike, refused an easy single called by Pujara. Such scrambled thinking then did for Pujara after India’s No3 set off for a single in Anderson’s next over. A reticent Kohli originally ran and then, with his partner almost at the other end, sent him back. It left Pujara stranded as Ollie Pope, presented his Test cap by Alec Stewart in the morning, started his debut with a simple run out.
That left India reeling at 15-3, but it prompted another downpour so heavy the rest of the players sprinted off the field and pitch. To be honest, I think if we bowled like that today, with those conditions, we’d bowl most teams in the world out. We were that good. “We hardly bowled any bad balls, didn’t give them much to hit at all – and when you build pressure like that all day, no matter who you are around the world it is difficult. “I think if we were bowling at our batsmen, we’d have the better of them too. We exploit those conditions as well as anyone in the world. I don’t think it’s just the GOT HIM: Woakes and Bairstow hail key wicket of Kohli Indian batsmen that would have struggled.” Anderson, who now has 99 Test wickets at Lord’s, also paid tribute to Chris Woakes, who took two wickets, including the key scalp of India captain Virat Kohli, on his return to the team from knee and thigh injuries.
“We were delighted for him,” he said. “He’s a world-class performer on his day – a brilliant bowler, a brilliant all-rounder, and someone who can do a fantastic job for this team.
“We’re delighted for him. First game back can always be tricky, especially when you’ve got world-class batsmen to come up against – but he handled the task brilliantly.”