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regular-article-logo Friday, 26 April 2024

Home or away, Kohli’s India know how to lord over English cricket

India turned the Lord’s Test completely on its head on the final day to record a remarkable 151-run victory

Sayak Banerjee Published 17.08.21, 03:45 AM
Mohammed Siraj, who dismissed last man Jimmy Anderson,  grabs one of the stumps and the rest of the team joins in the celebrations.

Mohammed Siraj, who dismissed last man Jimmy Anderson, grabs one of the stumps and the rest of the team joins in the celebrations. Getty Images

Gone are the days when wrapping up India’s lower order would just be a formality. Gone are the days when expecting an India win in an away Test would be a luxury. It’s impossible to intimidate this India.

Australia found that out earlier this year. And on Monday, it was England’s turn to bite the dust as India turned the Lord’s Test completely on its head on the final day to record a remarkable 151-run victory. England were hopeless when they came to India, they seem clueless at home as well.

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It was only last month in Colombo when Deepak Chahar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar stitched an unbroken 84-run eighth-wicket stand in trying circumstances in the second ODI versus Sri Lanka that helped the Shikhar Dhawan-led India seal the series.

On Monday, Mohammed Shami (56 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (34 not out) counter-attacked the England bowlers like master batsmen to swing the Test in India’s favour.

Thereafter, the two charged-up pacers, along with Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj, bowled India to a marvellous win as they skittled England out for 120. Captain Virat Kohli too got his reviews right to facilitate the victory. India now lead 1-0 in the series with three matches remaining.

Thanks to Shami and Bumrah’s 89-run unbroken partnership for the ninth wicket, India stretched their second innings total to 298/8 before skipper Kohli decided to declare, setting England a victory target of 272. The two quicks then took hardly any time to remove the fragile England opening pair of Rory Burns and Dom Sibley.

Focusing on darting the ball back in, Ishant (2/13) then trapped No.3 Haseeb Hameed and Jonny Bairstow leg before, leaving England wobbling at 67/4 at tea. In the very first over into the final session, Bumrah delivered England a body blow by removing their captain, who was earlier dropped by Rishabh Pant off Siraj’s bowling.

India, in fact, could have finished their job quicker had Kohli held on to a chance from Jos Buttler off Bumrah. That let-off did appear costly for a while as Buttler and Ollie Robinson kept defying India.

But with 9.2 overs remaining, Bumrah’s variation of pace accounted for Robinson and in the following over, Siraj (4/32) wrapped it up by outsmarting Buttler and foxing Anderson to trigger celebrations in the Indian camp.

After his impressive showing in Australia last season, Siraj, finishing with a match-haul of eight wickets, also stood out with his patience and persistence.

In the morning however, India reaching such a total never really looked possible when Pant and Ishant, the two overnight batsmen, departed with the lead just at 182.

But surprisingly, the England quicks, including Anderson, were more intent on

hitting the helmet of India’s No.9 and 10 batsmen as it looked like they were out to avenge what Bumrah had done to Anderson during England’s first innings.

Their tactics of bowling short only helped Shami and Bumrah as England simply lost the plot from thereon.

STAT-O-SPHERE

This was India’s third Test win at Lord’s in 19 matches. The previous two were

  • June 5-10, 1986: England 294 & 180. India 341 & 136/5 (target 134). India won by 5 wickets. Captain: Kapil Dev
  • July 17-21 2014: India 295 & 342. England 319 & 223 (target 319). India won by 95 runs. Captain: MS Dhoni

India’s most wins at away venues

  • 4 - Melbourne
  • 3 - Port of Spain/Kingston/Colombo (SSC)/Lord’s
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