England close on 119/3 on Day 2 of the 2nd Test match at Lord's

[Rajdeep]

Ashwin should have played here. Whose genius idea was it to bench him?

 

[James]

Enjoying this partnership.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Root will fall in the 40s

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Ashwin should have played here. Whose genius idea was it to bench him?

Mr Ravi Shastri's

 

[Rajdeep]

Mr Ravi Shastri's

Dont think so. It was our Kaptaan sahab's decision to play his Delhi friend Ishant Sharma.

 

[MP2011]

This is too easy for England.

 

[Devadwal]

Anyone missing Ashwin here ?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Anyone missing Ashwin here ?

Kohli but he won't tell anyone.

 

[fight_club]

Jadeja is already getting some turn. Seems like India has missed the boat by first squandering a tremendous opportunity to score big and then by not selecting Ashwin. Pitch is best to bat on day 2 and 3
If England late order bat decently England would have truly pulled this back

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Burns gone

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

England lost the review

 

[IMMY69]

That was a very strange dismissal.
Didn't look out to naked eye and from where it pitched I would have had it going over the wickets by a clear margin....

 

[James]

That was a bit of an odd one, didn’t look out live to Holding (or to me), seemed to be high and a bit legside. But, three reds.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Gift by jadeja. 4 overthrows

 

[Protea Fan]

Glad that burns guy is gone,omg he was soo pain to watch

Literally that aura of watching dean elgar and graeme smith

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Root has scored 2000 runs against India. Miandad is still leading that list.

 

[Saj]

119/3 at close.

India still with the upper hand.

Root excellent once again and showing why he's one of the world's best.

 

[Saj]

Root has scored 2000 runs against India. Miandad is still leading that list.

Ponting top of the list with 2555.

Cook 2431 in 2nd place.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

This was an utterly garbage day.

What should have been a sucker punch has turned into a decent advantage.

Batting was awful.

Bowlimg was initially meh but I missed Siraj's spell.

----

How was the captaincy?

 

[Saurav]

England's day but India still ahead because of yesterday

just need Root somehow

missing Ashwin already

 

[Robert]

119/3 at close.

India still with the upper hand.

Root excellent once again and showing why he's one of the world's best.

England need a(nother) century from Root, and fifties each from Bowledstow, Beard and Buttler to stay in this match.

 

[Saurav]

This was an utterly garbage day.

What should have been a sucker punch has turned into a decent advantage.

Batting was awful.

Bowlimg was initially meh but I missed Siraj's spell.

----

How was the captaincy?

Ishant bowled 11 overs while looking pedestrian while Shami was forgotten after 1st spell and only returned with 2 over spell in end picking Burns

and Siraj was overbowled

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Ishant bowled 11 overs while looking pedestrian while Shami was forgotten after 1st spell and only returned with 2 over spell in end picking Burns

and Siraj was overbowled

Sigh...

So the usual.

How qas Jaddu?

Heard he looked good...

 

[Saurav]

Sigh...

So the usual.

How qas Jaddu?

Heard he looked good...

bowled only 4 but good turn on occasions. Easy to play though due to slow pitch

Unfortunately he doesn't have many variations

This 4 pacer sounds good but really need Ashwin

 

[Ab Fan]

Fair to say we have thrown away the advantage we had. Didn't watched the game today but I assume that we batted pretty poorly.

I think Jadeja should bat a little higher as he is often left with the tail and the scope of scoring big is not much there. Pant scores quickly so he can make his impact feel even at no.7.

 

[MRSN]

Glad that burns guy is gone,omg he was soo pain to watch

Literally that aura of watching dean elgar and graeme smith

G Smith was classy.

 

[Robert]

get Hameed to open and Crawley back.

I think Hameed was unlucky to get a good one first up.

I agree that Hameed should get the series at #2 and Sibley be dropped.

Why not try Malan at #3? He has a decent defence.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

bowled only 4 but good turn on occasions. Easy to play though due to slow pitch

Unfortunately he doesn't have many variations

This 4 pacer sounds good but really need Ashwin

Jaddu could still break through in this and 4th innings.

If England match our score or even come close to it, I would be pretty concerned reg Moeen Ali.

 

[Saurav]

I agree that Hameed should get the series at #2 and Sibley be dropped.

Why not try Malan at #3? He has a decent defence.

Hes gonna be 34 soon.I'm thinking long term

Vince might be better option than Malan

 

[Saurav]

Jaddu could still break through in this and 4th innings.

If England match our score or even come close to it, I would be pretty concerned reg Moeen Ali.

Don't think they'll even use Jaddu that much.He's consigned to 5th bowler role with major expectations with bat

Using Jaddu will reflect poorly on Kohli's 4 pace strategy.And he doesnt want that.

 

[Saurav]

Ashwin should have played here. Whose genius idea was it to bench him?

Kohli decided that in last game that this was the 'template'

With Thakur out,atleast pick a proper no. 8

 

[Ab Fan]

Don't think they'll even use Jaddu that much.He's consigned to 5th bowler role with major expectations with bat

Using Jaddu will reflect poorly on Kohli's 4 pace strategy.And he doesnt want that.

How was Jaddu and Pant with bat? Feel they can promote Jaddu higher in the batting as many times he is left with tail. He can do better than 40s and 50s.

 

[Saurav]

How was Jaddu and Pant with bat? Feel they can promote Jaddu higher in the batting as many times he is left with tail. He can do better than 40s and 50s.

Pant was very good till he slashed one.

Jaddu was patient but really needs to bat better with tail.Didnt go for shots

Yeah I'll swap them for next innings/match

 

[James]

England’s day on the whole, but India still slightly ahead in the match. The margins in this one seem to be very fine: no more than a wicket or two. Big day tomorrow!

 

[Last Monetarist]

 

[dildilpak]

England probably a wicket behind at this stage! All depends on how soon they get Root tomorrow. But boy Root & Anderson have really tormented India like none others over the years, haven’t they?

 

[MenInG]

England went to stumps at 119/3 with Joe Root on 48* after they bowled out India on 364 with James Anderson claiming a five-wicket haul on Day 2 of the Lord's Test.

India resumed day two on 276/3, with KL Rahul on 127* and Ajinkya Rahane keeping him company on 1*. After a tough opening day, England found their way back into the action with two early wickets.

Ollie Robinson snared the prized scalp of Rahul, who only added two more runs to his overnight score, on the second ball of the day. The opening day's centurion tried to drive an outside-off pitched delivery but failed to keep it low with Dom Sibley grabbing the ball at covers.

In the next over, James Anderson struck on the first ball, inducing an edge off Rahane. India were reduced to 282/5 with two new batsmen – Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – in the middle.

Pant played a typical Pant-like innings, his stay lasted for 58 balls in which he scored 37 runs including five fours. He became Mark Wood's victim, who bowled a short of a length delivery wide of the off-stump. Pant tried to play a cut short but edged it behind the stumps to Jos Buttler.

The same over saw another wicket as Mohammad Shami hit the ball straight into the hands of short mid-wicket fielder for a nought. The morning session tuned out to be a successful one for England as they reduced the visitors to 346/7 at Lunch.

After the break, all eyes were on Ravindra Jadeja, who was looking in good touch with India hoping to cross the 400-mark. Ishant Sharma, batting at No.9, stayed around for a while as Jadeja kept the scoreboard ticking from one end.

But once again India's tail was exposed as they slipped from 362/7 to 364 all out in under four overs. Wood wrapped up the India innings with Jadeja's wicket, who fell for a 120-ball 40.

Anderson put up a stellar show with the ball, claiming his 31st five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and returning an impressive 5/62.

England openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley batted with caution, as they took their side to Tea at 23/0. However, the last session began brilliantly for India with Siraj removing Sibley and Haseeb Hammed on back-to-back deliveries in the first over after the break.

Buoyed by the success, Kohli continued to bowl Siraj in the hopes of getting more wickets. The visitors also used up two of their reviews in Siraj's overs against Joe Root. However, both times the ball was drifting down leg.

Root and Burns then paired up to frustrate the Indian bowlers and put up a half-century stand for the third wicket. Burns played some excellent shots, even hitting three fours off one Siraj over. He was looking good for a big score but the 85-run partnership was finally broken by Shami when he trapped Burns on 49.

Root, meanwhile, continued in his usual vein. He went past Graham Gooch to become England's second-highest run-scorer in Tests and also crossed 2000 Test runs against India.

The day ended with the match hanging in balance and Root unbeaten on 48 batting with Jonny Bairstow (6*), the hosts still trailing by 245 runs.

 

[Robert]

England’s day on the whole, but India still slightly ahead in the match. The margins in this one seem to be very fine: no more than a wicket or two. Big day tomorrow!

I think England are not far from being an OK side. They should drop Sibley and Bowledstow and probably Curran for the time being. I doubt that Broad will play again. If only Woakes were available. I would have

Burns (best of a bad bunch)
Hameed (deserves a long go)
Malan (next cab off the rank)
Root
Pope (better than Lawrence)
Moeen (does well against India)
Buttler
Woakes
Robinson
Wood
Anderson

 

[PakLFC]

A great Test in the making here. England need a good day tomorrow so to get close to India's score. Going in to the second innings England won't want to be chasing anymore then 250. I feel India have a slight advantage going in to day three. Surely, Sibely should be dropped in the next Test.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Ashwin wouldn't have done jack with bat or ball here. Combination is alright. Need better batters than rahane and current pujara and the bigger worry is whether we have younger, ready made replacements for ageing quicks like shami and ishant.

 

[James]

Today could be a Lord’s Saturday classic.

 

[Saurav]

Ashwin wouldn't have done jack with bat or ball here. Combination is alright. Need better batters than rahane and current pujara and the bigger worry is whether we have younger, ready made replacements for ageing quicks like shami and ishant.

Would have done better than Ishant with both bat and ball for sure

If Thakur was fit sure play him

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Would have done better than Ishant with both bat and ball for sure

If Thakur was fit sure play him

Difficult to say. Conditions have definitely become much easier for batting now. I agree that Ishant does look a shadow of the bowler he was 3 seasons ago which is unfortunate.