Robinson buried Indian hopes #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

 Fight ended abruptly 

Indian batting debacle as it happened :

Just on 21st ball of the morning on same overnight score, Pujara fully misjudged incoming delivery from Robinson and offers his pad :

Virat followed soon :

N Rahane

N Pant 

Rest followed like this :

Man of the Match : Robinson. 

Indian batsmen putting up a fight #ENGvIND #

India fighting for comeback 

Day 3 - 3rd Test 

India fighting really hard and has put up a decent show so far on the third day through top order batsmen.But still far from  safety in the match.

Can Pujara and Virat continue the same through out  on forth day to save the test then try to apply some pressure on England.

Still a long way to go ,still 139 behind of total 354 first innings deficit.

Hopefully very interesting play lies ahead on day 4 ,with challenge of second new ball and fresh Anderson & Co.

England on TOP 345 ahead #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

 Another Joe Root classic flattens India 

Horrible Day for Indian Batsmen #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

 England on Top on 1st Day 

Third Test-Day 1 -

India Lord over Lord's #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

 Shami - Bumrah ensure complete turnaround 

154  ahead India

Pant steps out in 3rd over to Anderson scorching cover drive. Even Ishant gets 4.
But next over Robinson's outgoing ball gets him on 22 - 8 added this morning. India lead 167.
Ishant n Shami playing typically in tail ender style added 15.
Amidst few heated exchanges and Bumrah getting hit on helmet , by Wood - India added 39 during 1st hour.
Both kept head down n keep frustrating hosts , got 50 off 74.Anderson too hit Bumrah on helmet.But this all made Bumrah more determined. Added 77 off 111 up to lunch.Shami attacking Moeen got 50 with a huge six . By Lunch India added 105 /2.What unbelievable session especially after Pant's departure.Was Shami-Bumrah show hour. 

Lead 259.

Lunch : 

.......To be concluded..in progress)

Key...secret of India's Win.Dominated more sessions. 

India forced on back foot.#ENGvIND #TeamIndia

 Notes - Highlights - As it happened - 

on Day 4. Lord`s - London

India start cautiously. In 10th over .

1st hour - Wood gets openers - 27/2. K L Rahul caught behind. 18/1 .

Rohit Sharma too after brilliant pull for six, failed to bouncer ploy, 27/2 .

Virat started with trade mark cover drive.

Pujara very patient as usual, opens account on 35th ball. India - 52/2 in 21st over.

Virat falls to Curran poking bit to outgoing left armer`s natural  line. 55/3 -just few minutes before lunch.

Lunch :

            56/3 -Top 3 gone in pre -Lunch session - Just 29 ahead.

            England on Top. Dream start for hosts.

Hour after lunch :

Both Rahane and Pujara ,survived and growing in confidence. 

Tea : Pair survived. Barrage of short pitched deliveries to Pujara by Wood. Was it reciprocation of Siraj bouncers to Bairstow or rather bodyline over to Anderson by Bumrah? India 78 ahead .

Rahane n Pujara denied any success up to drinks post tea. Jinks crossed 50.

But immediately after 100 partnership :

Pujara departs to sudden good length bouncer from Wood. Was it due to wearing pitch or special efforts by Wood? 155/4.India ahead by 128 .

In walks Rishabh Pant.

Starts  playing smart attacking cricket.

But Moeen shocks by getting Rahane caught behind. In recent years Rahane has found this new way to get out on simple, harmless ball by spinner. Rahane 61- 167/5.

But Moeen further shocked India by clean bowling Jadeja. India 148 ahead and in a big hole.

Root smartly doesn't take new ball seeing fading light, for 2 overs.

But light not suitable for pacers so 4th day`s  play called off.

India 154 ahead .Pant and Ishant at crease.

 

So all Indian hopes are on Rishabh Pant to put a bit of challenging target for England. Can Pant and 4 pacers design a miraculous escape? First while batting on the fifth morning and then during bowling.

Billions are hoping. Let`s hope for a brilliant close finish. 

- Vivek Ketkar

 

 

 

Joe Root`s England takes marginal lead #ENGvIND #Team India

 Joe Root 180 not out , England lead 27

On sunny day, without any assistance from the pitch Indian pace quartet toiled hard to contain England from getting away with the big first innings lead. Siraj`s post lunch blow and double strike by Ishant post tea, saved the day for India.

Day 3 - Second Test - Lords, London. As it unfolded :

Lunch : England cruising : 216/3 from 119/3.

Post Lunch Bairstow  failed to tackle Siraj ploy of bombarding him with bouncers, mistimed continuously - may be due to bit softer old ball - and in the in same  80th over ,  and India got the breakthrough at last after 121 runs partnership, in 34th over of the day. Bairstow - 57, 229/4. Root got to his hundred. Then Ishant bowled Butler after partnership of 54,  on the second new ball. 283/5.

Tea : England 50 behind, Root & Moeen batting without any difficulty.

Post Tea Ishant Sharma`s double strike brought India back into the match. On 341 Moeen and Curran were removed on successive deliveries.-341/7. Then India struck regularly to end England innings.

Day 3 end :

India bowls out England below 400 , England lead 27.

So on the forth day it`s almost  starting from the scratch for both the teams. India hope to bat well in second innings as well , with all eyes on Pujara and Rahane and even on Virat`s form. Can Indian openers repeat the first innings performance on Independence day? One thing they can hope is bright sunny day again. If India bats well on day 4 , left arm spinner Jadeja will definitely come into play on fifth day pitch .Hope for two more days engrossing cricket. 

- Vivek Ketkar 

 

It`s India or England - on day 3? #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

Who will take the lead?

At the end of day two Lords test  is very evenly poised.  England need 245, with in form captain Joe Root still there, along with experienced Bairstow. To be followed by Moeen Ali , Jos Butler ,Sam Curran. England is hopeful to score big and take first innings lead over India. Lot would depend on the weather and pitch conditions also. If Indian pace quartet - Ishant, Bumrah, Shami and Siraj do get  favorable overcast conditions and keep disciplined, probing  line and length ,bit supported by Ravindra Jadeja  India can still hope to stop England from running away with the match.

Earlier India started with overnight 276/3. Within just 7 balls of the second morning England were back in the match. On Robinson's second ball of the morning Rahul drove harmless half volley straight into short covers hand. Such a soft dismissal, heartbreaking for K L Rahul and Indian supporters. Followed by 1st ball Anderson shock  - Rahane back trying to poke outside the off stump - 278/4, 282/5.

Then it was up to Jadeja and Pant and long tail of bowlers. Pant stepped out to every fast bowler bowling around 140 kms/hr, bit with predetermined approach to unsettle their length. Successful most of the times. Had an important 49 runs partnership with Jadeja. Pant 37 removed by faster Wood - 340/7.Barring Ishant for few overs no one was able to support him, duo formed  26 runs partnership. India bundled out 364 within hour after lunch, adding just 88 runs to their overnight score. Jadeja out last on 40. Old wily Anderson lead the way with 5 wickets. 

Indian Middle order woes in recent times: 

2nd Day in snippets :

 

                           India cross 300 in 102nd over - 27  Runs in 1st hour. 

Lunch Day 2 :

Within hour after lunch : 

Tea :  Burns n Sibley both on 11*

Post Tea Siraj starts over with a double strike, Root denied Hat Trick. 23/2.Then Burns and Joe Root carried on nicely with 85 runs partnership and were looking very dangerous. But Shami struck immediately in the first over of his second spell, who one thought, was bit under bowled with just 6 overs out of 41, in the England innings then. Burns 49 ,108/3.Joe Root as classic as ever ended the day with 48 not out.

-Vivek Ketkar

     

Rohitn n Rahul - Lords of the 1st Day #ENGvIND #TeamIndia

As it happened , through pictures - 2nd test - Day 1

Toss won by England and invited India to bat 

  At Lunch:

                      

 After 43.4 overs :

                                           

    At Tea :

    End of Day 1: