ENG vs IND | 2nd Test: Spirited pacers script India's one for the ages victory at Lord's

There would not have been many who would have put their money on the line for an India win going into the final day of the Lord’s Test. This space had also argued that it was Rishabh Pant, who was standing in between the fates of both sides. 

But, team India had other ideas and as a champion side do, they found a way out of trouble after the early departure of Pant and asked England to show their mental strength in the final 60 overs of what had turned out to be a riveting contest.

The day was bowlers written all over it as first the pair of  Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami scripted a fairy tale comeback for India, and then their pacers unleashed all their variety, passion and energy in 53 overs to hand England a harsh reality check.

Root’s brain fade

England did not help themselves with questionable tactics as they showed more concern over India’s surging lead than dismissing the final two wickets. They could do neither and by the time Root realised he was on a wrong path, it was too late for a course correction as Shami and Bumrah took India’s lead past the 200-run mark.

Indian lower-order batsmen have not been at their worst as they have been known for in the last few years, but they were not technically superior to their top order batsmen as well. As soon as Bumrah joined Shami, there was an unprovoked defensive approach from Root.

There could not be any plausible explanation for spreading the field against them when the ball was doing enough off the pitch. They have had the big wicket of Pant very early in the day and just needed to stick to the line and length approach which was working quite well for them.

However, Root chose to see too far ahead and focussed on India’s lead and did not live in the present to marshall his troops to stick to their disciplines. He himself admitted that the onus was on him to own up the responsibility of messing up the tactics in the first session.

Bumrah’s defence, Shami’s belligerent attitude

Bumrah joined Shami after the fall of Ishant, who is known for his defence and not giving up attitude, both with the bat and the ball. The end was nigh for Indians and they could have flashed their hands at all deliveries to maximise their stay at the crease.

Having worked hard on their batting to correct their shoddy record in the recent records, Bumrah and Shami settled down quite nicely to get behind the lien of the balls. England were not comfortable at seeing them batting with mind and started verbal tricks to unsettle Bumrah and the batsman did not hold back either, although he had a bat, not a ball in his hands.

What threatened to be a short stay at the crease which could not have allowed India breathing space with the ball, the duo stitched a valiant unbeaten partnership of 89 runs filled with many crisp shots that would have made decorated Indian top and middle order proud.

The game that had appeared firmly in England’s grapes was taken beyond their control in a matter of sessions and the downward curve was complete when Siraj castled Anderson to give India a 1-0 lead.

England’s top order on a free fall

England openers had the task of providing England with a solid start as they were asked to prove their technique and mindset in the last 60 overs of the day. However, their misery could not get any worse as Bumrah sent Rory Burns back on the third ball of the innings.

Before Dom Sibley could understand the true nature of pitch after seeing his partner getting out to a notorious ball that jumped a bit awkwardly off the good length, Shami bowled a peach that left him from the line of his off stump.

The openers were gone inside 12 balls and India smelled blood so early in their bowling and as soon as Root was snaffled by Kohli in the slips off Bumrah, the writing was on the wall for the feeble England batting order.

Siraj matches Kohli’s passion

Bumrah and Shami provided India with the perfect start but as the ball got older and they had to be replaced, England found some stability in Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler, who were attacked by Kohli with the sledge questioning their batting credentials in the longest format. 

Moeen was watchful and did not offer any opportunity to India except for Ravindra Jadeja’s delivery that turned out to be a no-ball. India were guilty of offering one chance each to both Buttler and Moeen and they could have lived to rue those missed opportunities.

India needed their third and fourth pacer to stand up after the initial burst of Shami and Bumrah and Ishant heard the clarion call straightaway with the wickets of Haseeb Hameed and Jonny Bairstow. 

Siraj was yet to come to the party and he came superbly into it with back-to-back wickets of Moeen and Sam Curran, who has earned the unfortunate reckoning of becoming the only batsman to bag a king pair at Lord’s.

He came back after Buttler and Robinson had reduced the remaining overs to less than 10 and India needed inspirational bowling. He was getting the ball shape into the right-handers throughout the game and Buttler got so used to it. Then came the sucker delivery that went away from him and the wicketkeeper could not play the ball late and a delighted Pant pouched the ball safely in his glove to put England on the brink.

There was tension between England’s number —Anderson and Bumrah after the Indian pacer had peppered him a barrage of short balls in the first innings. The tactics, from the outset, was similar as Siraj welcomed him with a bumper that could not rise to put him under a spot of bother. 

Siraj was smart and he changed the angle to show strong signs of incoming short deliveries. Anderson, as any batsman who would be expecting balls around his head, would be, was hanging on the backfoot and Siraj hit the perfect line and length to hit the top of off stump and send India and their fans into a frenzy.

He picked up eight wickets across the two innings but what would have impressed Kohli the most was his attitude and willingness to keep running in irrespective of the help from the pitch and in the air.

After threatening to win the first game of the series at Trent Bridge, India finally got a hard-earned win at Lord’s—their second in the last three games at the venue. The defeat has left England soul-searching after falling short of a spirited Indian pace attack.