India posted a competitive 457 and scalped the wicket of Alastair Cook to reduce England to 43/1 on day two of the first Test at Trent Bridge.
A brilliant century from Murali Vijay (146), a resolute 82 from MS Dhoni and crucial fifties from Bhuvneshwar Kumar(58) and Mohammad Shami(51) helped India post 457 in the first innings.
Dhoni had made sure that India edged England in the first session. The hosts looked to have clawed back into the match post lunch, picking up four wickets for just two runs but they were found guilty of frittering away the advantage at crucial moments. India’s last wicket pair of Bhuvneshwar and Shami compounded their misery with a 111-run 10th wicket stand. A record for the 10th wicket for India in England.
Cook’s horror run continued as he departed for just five. But Sam Robson and Gary Ballance saw off a tricky last hour to make sure England didn’t slip further. England still trail by 414 runs.
First Test, Day 2, Morning Session (28 overs, 83 runs, 1 wicket)
India lost their centurion Murali Vijay to a poor umpiring decision but MS Dhoni made the most of a dropped catch by Matt Prior to press home India’s advantage in the first session of the second day of the first Test at Trent Bridge.
Vijay was unlucky to given out lbw on 146 – he was struck high on the thigh pad by James Anderson and Hawkeye showed the ball going well over the stumps – but Dhoni and Jadeja made sure that there were no more slip-ups as India added 83 to their overnight total to end the morning session on 342 for 5.
The pitch hadn’t changed much from yesterday and there were odd balls that kept low to start off. Anderson and Stuart Broad in particular asked questions of the Indian batsmen but Dhoni and Vijay were able to weather the early storm. Vijay started off in pretty much the same fashion as yesterday, edging one wide of the slip cordon for a boundary to third man to get India underway.
Broad then produced the over of the Test match so far and was unlucky not to have the wicket of Dhoni. He enticed Dhoni into a drive with a beautiful outswinger in the day’s third over. Dhoni drove at it without any footwork and edged it. Prior dived to his right but couldn’t hold on to the catch. It was a sharp chance but easier than the catch Prior took to send back Shikhar Dhawan on day one.
Dhoni looked to unsettle Broad by using his feet but was again beaten by another outswinger. The India captain was troubled by the full length and it brought back memories of his struggles against Broad in the 2011 Test series, where he was caught behind the wickets regularly.
Dhoni was careful to leave the next three balls but was again beaten on the drive off the final delivery of the over.
Broad beat Dhoni again on the drive in the over and he almost had Vijay too when the latter tried to punch one that was too close to his body. Luckily for him, the inside edge bounced over the stumps.
Apart from that one loose shot, Vijay was composed and patient. He hit some elegant boundaries – a couple through covers and another through point. Dhoni, meanwhile continued to shuffle and use his feet to unsettle the bowlers.
India went past 300, a feat which they managed just once in four Tests three years ago, and looked set for many more when Cook brought on Anderson for his second spell. The England pacer, who bowled beautifully in the morning, got the wicket of the set Vijay with one that jagged back in sharply.
Jadeja then joined Dhoni in the middle and was quick to take on Moeen Ali, hitting for two sixes down the ground in the same over. The pair, who are used to batting together, rattled off 38 runs in the final six overs of the session to give India the momentum.
Post-lunch Session: (35 overs, 91 runs, 4 wickets)
The Indian tailenders frustrated England and helped India retain the advantage following a catastrophic collapse after lunch. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami surpassed their highest Test scores and added unbeaten 87 runs as India went from 346/9 to 433/9 at tea.
It looked as if India had frittered away the advantage and helped England claw back in the match after they lost four wickets for just two runs after lunch. But Bhuvneshwar and Shami stitched together highest 10th wicket stand for India in England to make it an even session.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja had put India into a comfortable position at lunch on day two. But the latter played a poor shot in the second over after lunch and was caught behind off Stokes for 25. Dhoni(82) misjudged a single and was run out an over later.
He pushed one to mid off and set off for a risky single, James Anderson fired in a direct hit and the Indian captain was found just short. Stuart Binny(1) disappointed on debut and departed in the same over as he drove one uppishly straight to point. Then Ishant Sharma(1) came up with one of the most terrible leaves only to be cleaned up by Stuart Broad.
Bhuvneshwar and Shami then came together and batted sensibly. They defended the good deliveries and attacked the bad ones. The pair surpassed Anil Kumble and S Sreesanth’s 73-run stand to pile on India’s highest 10th wicket partnership in England. Bhuvneshwar looked solid with his technique.
The English bowlers seemed to have lost the momentum but there were a couple of half chances for them late in the session when Broad peppered Bhuvneshwar with short deliveries from round the wicket but the ball didn’t carry to the fielders on the outside edge and the fend. Shami remained not out on 39, while Bhuvneshwar scored unbeaten 46.
Post-tea Session: (22.1 overs, 67 runs, 2 wickets)
After tea, Bhuvneshwar and Shami carried from where they left off and attacked the English bowlers to extend the 10th wicket partnership beyond 100. And it was Moeen Ali who at long last provided the hosts with some relief by removing Bhuvneshwar for 58 and wrapping up the innings.
Alastair Cook needed a substantial contribution to silence his critics. This was his perfect chance on a flat surface. But he disappointed again. He shuffled too far across the stumps and Shami cleverly bowled it straight on the leg stump, Cook had exposed his stump and missed his flick, the ball hit his pads and then popped back onto the stumps.
Robson and Ballance made sure that there were no more slip-ups as England ended the day on 43/1, trailing by 414 runs. The Indian bowlers bowled with good rhythm and found some movement. Jadeja bowled just two overs but found some turn from the rough patches outside the left-hander’s off-stump. His contribution might be crucial with the cracks opening up tomorrow.