Sunday 12 August 2018 21:38, UK
England beat the weather to take 2-0 lead against India as Virat Kohli struggles with a back strain - all you need to know from day four of the second Test at Lord's...
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England clinched a comprehensive innings-and-159-run thrashing of India in the second Test at Lord's, beating the rain and bowling out the visitors for 130 in their second innings to take a 2-0 series lead, writes David Currie.
James Anderson (4-23) passed 100 Test wickets at Lord's and moved up to 553 overall with two early strikes, while the other half of England's destructive opening pair, Stuart Broad (4-44), claimed four in a devastating second spell, including Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik in two balls.
Kohli remains the heartbeat of India's batting line-up and having survived a review the delivery before, with England convinced the visitors captain had gloved the ball behind to Jonny Bairstow, he was not so lucky the next ball. The thinest of edges off his glove was well caught by debutant Ollie Pope at short-leg, and his review seemed more in hope than anything else, as Broad picked up his third wicket of the day.
Chris Woakes hit the joint second-highest score for a No.7 at Lord's with his unbeaten 137 not out matching Les Ames' knock against New Zealand in 1931. Andrew Flintoff's 143 against South Africa in 2003 tops the list.
Stuart Broad has now dismissed Ajinkya Rahane five times in Tests, at an average of 11.
Should England have declared overnight? The art of a declaration at the right time seems to be a constant talking point and there were contrasting views over whether or not the hosts should have got India batting at the start of play with rain around. Joe Root's side batted for a little under 40 minutes in the first session, aware that rain was likely to take time out of the game. Despite a couple of breaks during day four for rain, Anderson and Broad proved too good in overcast conditions for the delayed declaration to matter.
England captain Joe Root hailed his bowlers and centurion: "The bowling unit were exceptional throughout the whole game - the conditions were in our favour but you still have to ask questions and we did. Also, to get to a position where we could declare after Jonny and Woakesy's magnificent partnership. I am chuffed to bits for Woakesy to get a hundred. I thought Ollie Pope batted really well in a challenging time. To come in and put pressure on the opposition at times was a great sign. We now what he is capable of and to see him fit seamlessly into this environment is pleasing moving forward."
Man of the Match, Chris Woakes: "I am delighted. To win inside four days having lost a day to rain is pretty special. To get a hundred and be on the Honours Board is something that will stay with me forever. I wish I'd have soaked it up a bit more out there - it sort of went by in a flash. Fighting to get the ball out of Jimmy and Broady's hands in conditions like that was tricky!"
India captain Virat Kohli was disappointed with his side's efforts: "I am not very proud of the way we played - it's the first time in the last five Tests that we have been outplayed. Credit has to go to England who were clinical with the bat, ball and in the field. They deserved to win and we deserved to lose. You can't really think about the conditions, you have to counter them as and when they come to you."
Nasser Hussain on a dominant England: "England are so much more the better side that even if they had lost the toss they would have won the match. The focus has to be on India - they have to be wary of the wheels falling off. It was meant to be a gun series but at the moment it is men against boys."
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