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PICS: India score stunning win over England in 2nd Test

August 17, 2021

Images from Day 5 in the second Test between England and India, at Lord's, on Monday.

IMAGE: India pacer Mohammed Siraj celebrates dismissing England's Sam Curran in the second innings during Day 5 of the second Test, at Lord's Cricket Ground, on Monday. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

India's pacers turned in a scintillating display to humble England by 151 runs in the second Test and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, at Lord’s Cricket Ground, on Monday.

Chasing a target 272, England were bowled out for 120 in 51.5 overs. Skipper Joe Root was the only notable contributor, top-scoring with 33.

 

India had 60 overs to bowl out England and the task was made possible by an all-round effort from their pacers.

Mohammad Siraj was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 32 runs, including the final one.

Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets for 33 runs and Ishant Sharma 2 for 13 as India's ploy of playing four fast bowlers paid off.

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah is ecstatic after dismissing England captain Joe Root. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

This is India's third Test win at the hallowed Lord's, the earlier ones coming in the 1986 and 2014 series. They now have six points in the World Test Championship.

Much credit for the victory should go to Mohammed Shami and Bumrah, who produced a special effort with the bat earlier in the day to lay the ground for an incredible victory.

Then, with the ball, they teamed with Ishant Sharma and Siraj to demolish England. Joe Root's (33) dismissal of a "jaffa" from Bumrah had England on the mat at 67 for 5 just after tea and defeat looming.

Before that, Shami bowled a leg-cutter to dismiss Dom Sibley (0) and Bumrah forced Rory Burns (0) to close his bat and offer a catch to short mid-off.

IMAGE: Mohammed Siraj celebrates after bowling Jimmy Anderson to clinch victory for India. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It could have been six down soon had Virat Kohli held on to a catch from Jos Buttler at first sip, but the ball evaded his reverse cupped palms, and Moeen Ali's edge didn't matter as Ravindra Jadeja over-stepped.

Siraj then bowled couple of superb successive outgoing deliveries to get rid of Moeen (13) and Sam Curran (0) and reduce England to 90 for 7 before snatching final wicket of James Anderson.

IMAGE: Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara and KL Rahul celebrate as Jimmy Anderson is bowled by Mohammed Siraj. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Earlier, India's long tail wagged, as Shami and Bumrah shared an unbeaten 89-run stand to take India to 298 for 8 before declaring shortly after lunch.

Resuming the day at 181 for six, India lost Rishabh Pant early but Shami (56 not out) and Bumrah (34 not out) produced a sensational stand to defy the hosts.

It was Shami's second fifty in international cricket.

Morning session:

IMAGE: India's Mohammed Shami is all smiles as he celebrates scoring 50 during Day 5. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Earlier, Mohammed Shami scored the most important half-century of his career, and Jasprit Bumrah showed tremendous application, to guide India to 286 for 8 in the second innings as England's chances of winning the second Test dwindled by lunch.

Shami, who hit a towering six off Moeen Ali to complete his second Test fifty, was batting on 52 off 67 balls at the break.

 With an overall lead of 259 runs ,and a maximum 64 overs left in the game, he may have given India an outside chance of even winning the Test.

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah hits a short delivery from Mark Wood to the boundary. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Shami and Bumrah (batting 30 off 58 balls) not only added 77 invaluable runs for the ninth wicket, but also consumed enough overs to take one session virtually out of the equation and keep the visitors in the game after Rishabh Pant's (22) early dismissal.

This was India's highest ninth-wicket stand in a Test in England.

Ishant Sharma (16) also made a nice little contribution, as the tail-enders accumulated 98 runs, something India missed before the start of the series.

IMAGE: England pacer Ollie Robinson celebrates after taking the wicket of Rishabh Pant. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

At the start of the fifth day, Pant once again charged down the track to smash James Anderson (25-6-49-0) through the covers, but Ollie Robinson (16-6-41-2) bowled a beautifully delivery that moved late and induced an outside edge into the England keeper's gloves.

Ishant got a streaky boundary off Anderson but Robinson's knuckle ball trapped him plumb in-front. At 209 for 8 Bumrah joined Shami. Once the No. 9 and 10 were at the crease, England captain Joe Root spread the field, anticipating a lot of aerial shots from the duo. To his surprise, and that of his own dressing room, though, both batsmen were ready to put their heads down and play proper cricketing shots.

IMAGE: Ollie Robinson successfully appeals for leg before wicket against Ishant Sharma. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

With Mark Wood bowling with a deep point and deep mid-wicket, the singles came easily as both showed copybook forward defence to Moeen, who troubled the Indian top-order.

They were peppered with a few short deliveries and Bumrah was hit on the helmet by Wood, but he manfully carried on, concentrating even more.

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah exchanges words with England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Their 50-run stand was applauded generously by the Lord's crowd, mostly Indians, but it was their dressing room that gave them a standing ovation.

Shami flicked Anderson for a boundary and also hit a picturesque cover-drive off Moeen. If that wasn't enough, he also lofted Moeen (26-1-84-2) over mid-on for a boundary.

IMAGE: Jos Buttler watches as Mohammed Shami drives. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Once they had added 30-odd runs, Root understood that the aerial shot strategy had backfired and got back to the traditional two-slip and gully field.

But, by then, Bumrah's defence and Shami's attack had England frustrated, leading to some on-field altercations between the two Indians and rival skipper Root and his premier pacer Anderson.

Post-Lunch session

IMAGE: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah celebrates dismissing England opener Rory Burns in the second innings. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

India's fast bowlers struck telling blows to have England reeling on England 67 for 4 in the second innings at tea.

After batting England out of the contest with fine knocks in the second innings to swell India's lead, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah delivered with the ball too, dismissing both openers early.

Chasing 272 for victory, England lost Rory Burns (0) and Dom Sibley (0) with just a run on the board inside the first two overs.

IMAGE: India's players celebrate after Dom Sibley is dismissed for a 'duck' in England's second innings. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

And when Haseeb Hameed's (9) comeback was cut short by Ishant Sharma (2 for 6 in 4 overs) and the pacer went on to trap Jonny Bairstow leg before wicket at the stroke of tea it was the Indians who looked good for victory, even as captain Joe Root offered stubborn resistance with an unbeaten 33 at the other end.

IMAGE: India pacer Ishant Sharma celebrates with K L Rahul after dismissing England's Haseeb Hameed following a review. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Earlier, Shami and Bumrah achieved the unthinkable by frustrating the England bowlers. 

From a situation where defeat looked imminent after Rishabh Pant's (22) early dismissal, Shami (56 not out, 70 balls) and Bumrah (34 not out, 64 balls) displayed a never before seen resolve in a record 89-run stand for the ninth wicket before India declared their second innings at 298 for 9, just 10 minutes into the post-lunch session.

IMAGE: Captain Joe Root bats during England's second innings. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

With a golden chance of victory lost and shoulders drooping, the target was out of question after Burns closed the face of his bat to a delivery from Bumrah and was caught by Mohammed Siraj, and Shami (1/5 in 5 overs) dismissed Dom Sibley (0) with a killer leg-cutter.

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