The Lord’s Test is at stake with all three possible outcomes after four days of fascinating England-India cricket in London. Bad lighting forced the referees to end the game a little earlier on Sunday.
England would be the happier side, having been unbeaten in line on 14 and 4 respectively in the final day with India 154 runs ahead for losing 6 wickets with Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma.
Ajinkya Rahane (61) and Cheteshwar Pujara (45) battled for the guests with their 100-fold partnership, but late hits from Moeen Ali put England in a sovereign position with the second new ball due on matchday one.
India vs. England 2nd test: Day 4 highlights
The out of shape duo did their best to mitigate the English attack after Mark Woods’ early blows reduced India to 55 for 3 in the first session. Wood removed openers KL Rahul (5) and Rohit Sharma (21) before delivering an unplayable delivery to Cheteshwar Pujara for 45, which sparked another breakdown in the Indian camp.
Wood was the standout bowler for England with 3 wickets for 40 runs while Moeen Ali finished 2 for 52 to win the final session for England after Rahane and Pujara caused the hosts to be wicketed in the second session.
Rishabh Pant will be the key player for India when he joins the fight on Day 5. He will have to fight the bottom of the pack and try to get India to the safe zone on Monday.
ADVANTAGE OF ENGLAND DESPITE JINKS-CHE STAND
Mark Wood (3-40) drew the first blood when he released KL Rahul, who was trailing for five with a clever change in length. His next over proved eventful, which ended with Rohit Sharma being fired for 21.
Rohit drew a chest-high ball from outside the stump and pulled it into a daring six, but Wood had the last laugh of the duel. The last ball of this overs was a similar one and this time Rohit couldn’t place the ball in the middle and Moeen Ali took a tumbling catch on the deep square leg.
India needed skipper Virat Kohli to lead by example, as did his counterpart Joe Root, whose unbeaten 180 formed the foundation of England’s first innings of 391.
But Sam Curran had other ideas.
Kohli played a couple of gorgeous drives in his 20 before Curran found the Indian captain’s edge. Pujara went into the game without a 50 in his last 10 innings and vice-captain Rahane also had few runs.
Known as accumulators in a line-up of aggressive batsmen, they both showed their courage in a tenacious 100-run partnership.
Pujara, who made 45, took 35 balls to hit the mark but sucked up enough supplies to blunt the English attack. Rahane kept fighting on the other end, helped by a respite at 31 when Jonny Bairstow had a tough chance at that point. They held England in check for nearly 50 overs before Wood Pujara’s 206-ball vigil ended with an unplayable delivery that the batsman could only parry to slip.
Moeen fired Rahane for 61 and Ravindra Jadeja for three to expose India’s cock. Wood injured his right shoulder while fielding and had it heavily buckled.
The rainy opening game of the five-man test series ended in a draw.
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