England Lord’s Test blow
Paceman Wood may miss final day with shoulder injury
hwood hpant
The second Test is beautifully poised going into the final day. England trail by 154 runs with India six wickets down in their second innings and tension between two very competitive teams bubbling close to the surface.
The new ball is due for James Anderson to bowl at one of the world’s most unpredictable batsmen, Rishabh Pant, who only has tail-enders for company.
The pitch is starting to turn, so England will not want to chase many more than 200, while India will look at their top order and think they can quickly turn the screw. All three results are possible and £20 for a ticket represents some of the best value you will find in London today.
An absorbing second day was dominated by a stand of patient blocking by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane that was punctured only by England’s battering ram – Mark Wood.
Pujara and Rahane should have constructed the walls of the new Compton and Edrich Stands because there can be few better builders of fortifications than these two, who came together fighting for their places and with their team barely ahead in the game.
Pujara’s exhibition of blocking lasted more than an entire Hundred match – 206 balls for 45 runs – and, together with Rahane, blunted England for 297 balls, anaesthetising everyone in the afternoon session.
Wood has his injury problems but there is nothing wrong with his stomach for the fight. He never gave in. With seven overs to go to the second new ball, he found some extra bounce from the Pavilion End and Pujara could only fend to short gully.
Wood’s three for 40 are currently his best innings figures at home and he may well have won the match with his dismissal of Pujara. This was a performance England want in Australia on flat decks. But the worry is they will have worn Wood out before then.
India slumped from 155 for three to 181 for six, Wood opening the door for Moeen Ali to continue his hold over Indian batsmen on home pitches, striking twice in eight balls.
Moeen had Rahane caught behind for 61 before bowling Ravindra Jadeja with a beauty that was flighted outside off stump, bit and turned.
With the second new ball now an option, the umpires told Joe Root they would take the players off for bad light if he turned to his quicks. He kept himself and Moeen on but, concerned about Pant’s threat
against spin, he signalled he would bring on his fast bowlers and the umpires took the teams off. The India management were gesticulating to their own players to put pressure on the umpires and words were exchanged between batsmen and fielders as they went off. With Virat Kohli chewing over his latest failure, expect more heat today.
The absence of Stuart Broad gives England the option to pick a more varied attack. When Anderson and
Broad are together they need a third seamer to put in the leg work, taking up another place. Anderson and Ollie Robinson bowl very few poor deliveries and swing and seam the new ball. Sam Curran offers the leftarm variation, creating some rough for Moeen, while Wood provides the big artillery.
All played their part, Curran popping up to remove Kohli for his only wicket of the series.
Both teams scrapped all day to take the initiative. Wood removed KL Rahul, caught behind off a 93mph ball that just held its line and
kept his nerve when Rohit Sharma went after the bouncer.
England’s leg theory idea paid off. Rohit, not content with one six in the over, tried to repeat the shot to Wood three balls later but was caught at deep backward square leg.
Kohli’s average since the start of last year is down to 23.94 and the first-baller to Anderson at Trent Bridge was the plot twist this series needed. He is desperate to establish his alpha male position like he did on the last tour. But so far we have seen the 2014 version of Kohli, not the one from 2018.
England hunted in a pack. Robinson and Anderson were in Kohli’s ear, while Curran probed an attacking length trying to find some swing. He pinged one into the pads of Kohli and persuaded Root to review. It was not out on height but between overs Curran had a chat with Wood. Next ball he slanted the outswinger across Kohli, who prodded at a ball on a fifth-stump line and nicked behind.
Curran sprinted away in celebration to high-five Wood down at deep square leg. Kohli trudged off, throwing his kit down when he reached the dressing room.
With Kohli gone, India were 55 for three, just 28 ahead and England were on a roll, sensing their chance.
The vast majority of the India team took Wednesday off, but not Rahane and Pujara, who are out of form and looking over their shoulders. The crowd cheered every Pujara milestone, from his first run (off his 35th ball), reaching double figures (83 balls), facing his 100th ball and so on.
It started as a joke, but soon became a mark of respect. Pujara weathered a barrage from Wood. England had a silly point, a forward and a backward short leg, as well as men on the boundary, as they tried to hustle him out with the short ball. But Pujara has immense mental strength. He ignored the short ball and the jibes from the crowd to concentrate on his job.
England were sitting in for the second new ball when Wood was given another go, and woke everyone up when he made one rear up off a length and Pujara edged to Root. Finally England fans were cheering for the right reason.
Pujara’s exhibition of blocking lasted longer than a Hundred match – 206 balls for 45 runs