Nagpur: A great spell of bowling from James Anderson put England on top at stumps on day two. India are reeling at 87/4 in reply to England’s first innings total of 330 in the fourth Test being played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur. India still needs 243 runs to write off the deficit.
All the English bowlers bowled well but it was Anderson who made all the difference, he finished the day with figures of 3-24 in the nine overs that he bowled. Graeme Swann was the other wicket taker picking the all important wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara.
Earlier in the day, England resumed their innings at 199/5 with Root on (31*) and Prior (34*). Prior was very circumspect last evening but he started on an attacking note and struck some brilliant boundaries. Dhoni rotated his bowlers well but both Root and Prior kept the good balls away and accumulated runs well.
The first hour went England’s way with both batsmen reaching the fifty mark, in the first hour they added 42 runs to the total. Just after the drinks break a lapse in concentration saw Prior miss a straight delivery from Ashwin which rattled his stumps.
Dhoni then surprised everyone by taking off Ashwin and replacing him with Ishant. The move paid off as ishant got a ball to nip back and caught Bresnan right in front of the wicket.
Root and Graeme Swann added 35 important runs before the lunch interval.
Earlier starting the post lunch session at 277-7, some valiant performance by Graeme Swann helped England past the 300 runs mark. England were bowled out for 330. Swann scored 56 off 91 balls including six boundaries and a couple of sixes. He put up a 60 runs partnership for the eighth wicket Joe Root.
Root also put up a spirited performance after a top-order failure played well to score a half century on his debut. He scored 73 off 229 deliveries including four boundaries.
For India, Piyush Chawla was the pick of the bowlers. He picked up four wickets by giving away 69 runs while Ishant Sharma chipped in with 3-49.
India in reply got off to the worst possible start as Virender Sehwag was bowled out for a duck in the third ball of the innings by James Anderson. Opener Gautam Gambhir and Cheteshwar Pujara then steadied the India ship and avoided any further casualty till tea.
India resumed the evening session at 32/1. Both Pujara and Gambhir were a bit circumspect at the start of the session as the English bowlers build pressure on the batsmen. The persistent bowling paid-off as Swann got Pujara caught brilliantly by Ian Bell at short-leg. However, the replays suggested that Pujara was unlucky to be given out as the ball missed his gloves and hit him on the elbow.
Anderson then came up with a magical spell. His first victim of the session was Sachin Tendulkar as he produced a brilliant in-swinger which took Sachin’s inside edge and dismantled his middle stump. Anderson was not done as he got Gambhir driving to a ball that was leaving the left-hander. Gambhir got the edge and was caught easily by Prior.
Virat Kohli (11*) and skipper Dhoni (8*) were on the crease when the play ended.
Brief Score:
England: 330 (Root 73, Pietersen 73, Chawla 4-69)
India: 87/4 in 41 overs (Gambhir 37, Anderson 3-24)
By Indian Sports News Network
