Saturday 19 July 2014
England v India, 2nd Investec Test, Lord's, 3rd day
London:Murali Vijay anchored India's innings with asolid fifty after England looked to take charge of the 2nd Test at Lord's on Saturday.
India lost 3 wickets for just 5 runs in space of 19 balls to be 118/1 to 123/4 with a lead of just 99 runs.
At stumps on the third day they were 169/4, leading by 145 runs.
Opening batsman Vijay, batting for almost 5 hours, was 59 not out and India captain M S Dhoni unbeaten on 12.
Meanwhile, England's Liam Plunkett had a brilliant day with both bat & ball. Hescored a Test-best 55 not out to help his team to a first-innings lead & then took 2 big wickets in 2 balls.
Sikhar Dhawan was looking to attack upfront with Vijay playing calmly.
But on 31, Dhawan failed to get over the top of a cut off Ben Stokes & was caught by Joe Root at backward point to leave India 40/1.
Fast bowler Plunkett pitched the ball up & he was duly rewarded.
First, he drew Pujara (43) forward & got his outside edge which ended a 2nd-wicket stand of 78 in 30 overs.
Next ball, Virat Kohli made an awful mistake of leaving a ball which came back and was clean bowled for a golden duck.
Plunkett then wasted his hat-trick delivery as Rahane left a ball well wide of off stump.
Rahane, the centurion from 1st innings, was given out controversially because of the absence of DRS in this series.
Another concern for England was the slow over-rate which may result in a ban for the captain, Cook, who has now gone 26 innings without scoring a Test hundred.
Earlier, B Kumar took 6/82 as he recorded his Test-best figures for the second time in this series..
But even he could not prevent England gaining a slender 1st-innings lead of 24.
England's tail added 100 runs to the overnight score of 219/6 before being bowled out for 319.
Plunkett and Anderson, struck a flurry of boundaries as they added 39 in 43 balls.
Kumar had reduced England to 280/9 in initially overcast conditions on Saturday as he bowled Ben Stokes for a duck with a swinging delivery and then had Broad caught at 1st slip.
Related:
Ajinka Rahane Controversial Dismissal BCCI's fault?
