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- Author, Sanjay Kishore
- Designation, For BBC Hindi
The second day of the Lord’s Test may have been slow in terms of speed, but it was full of all the colors of cricket that make this game unmatched.
It was not just a matter of score, it was a complex mental fight on the field, in which patience, technology and morale were tested.
Jasprit Bumrah’s stubborn bowling, Joe Root’s gentle but decisive century innings and the militant batting of England’s lower order batsmen made this day very special.
India reached 145/3 by the end of the second day’s game, but India is still 242 runs, compared to 387 runs of England’s first innings.
On the morning of the third day, the balance of Rishabh Pant’s aggression and Rahul’s stagnant understanding will decide to what extent India will be able to respond to England’s challenge and in which direction will this test turn.
A spell changed the match
The historical reputation of Lords attracts every cricketer. In the Edgbaston Test, the team management’s decision to relax Jasprit Bumrah proved to be full of foresight.
Bumrah knew that lodging the name on Lord’s Honors Board is not only a matter of data, but it is a test of restraint, continuity and specific skills.
In this test, he showed the rare balance of all these qualities- a bowling that became a symbol of technology and mental firmness.
On the second day, England started playing ahead of the score of 251 runs for 4 wickets. In the morning session, Bumrah’s balls changed the attitude of the whole game. He dismissed Joe Root (104), Ben Stokes (44), and Chris Woakes (0) and covered England from 251/4 to 271/7.
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‘It would be nice to tell your son about it’
His bowling started in slow, almost strict style, where he was searching for his line and length. But as the day progressed, his rhythm rhythm explodes.
The blowing off stump of Ben Stokes, which was the scattering gills of the route and the failure of the batting technology from the exact yoors inserted to the Volks-Hartley, all of which told the same story: Bumrah is not only an aggressive bowler, but he is also a rhythm controller. He dances the batsmen at his gestures and controls the speed of the game.
He swing the ball on one side, used the seam on the other side and did not give the batsmen a chance to take any decision. He bowled four batsmen, that too in such a way, as if everything has already been created.
When he got his fifth wicket, he did not celebrate any aggressive or fierce celebration.
He said, “I did not celebrate there because I was tired.”
Bumrah smiled in a conversation with the media after the day’s game was over, “Now I am not 21-22 years old who should jump. I just wanted to go back to my marking and throw the next ball.”
Now he has become the most ‘Test Faifer’ (five wickets in an innings) outside India. He has left behind a great legend like Kapil Dev. This achievement adds another great chapter to his legacy.
After the match, Bumrah said on his performance, “Taking five wickets in Lord’s is not just a figure.
“It is nice to be on the Honors Board. It would be nice to tell your son about it.”
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Joe Root: Rahul Dravid’s two records broke in a day
When Joe Root completed his 37th Test century by hitting a four off the first ball of the day, it was not just a century but it was a moment to leave veterans like Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith behind.
With this brilliant innings, Root has now joined the top five list of batsmen who scored the most centuries in Test cricket.
But the most memorable and emotional moment of the day came when Root caught Karun Nair’s incredible catch in the slip. This was not a normal catch. This was his 211st catch.
With this amazing catch, Root broke the long-running record of Rahul Dravid (210 catches) to take the most catches among non-viccators. Dravid’s record has now become history and the root is on a new peak in this category.
Regarding his century, Root said that it was definitely ‘special’, but felt ‘incomplete’.
This shows his passion that he wants to make a big score every time and make every possible contribution to the team. Today was the day for him to break the record with both bat and hands, which proved his greatness once again.
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Smith and Cars Strategy
When England’s score was 271/7, it seemed that his innings would soon be reduced, but Jamie Smith and Briden Cars completely demolished India’s notion.
Jamie Smith was given a life by KL Rahul in the slip on a personal score of five runs. He took advantage of this opportunity well and completed his half -century in 52 balls, showing restraint. His return surprised the Indian camp.
At the same time, Bardon Cars, often seen in limited overs cricket, surprised everyone by scoring a half -century for the first time in Test cricket. His batting style was aggressive; He sometimes played Bumrah’s ball over the point and sometimes put a great shot on the Akash Deep above the cover.
England’s last three wickets together added 116 runs. This is the same significant difference that is now overshadowing India on the score board and making the target even more difficult for them.
India’s innings: Rahul’s stability and Gill’s confusion
Jofra Archer welcomed Yashasvi Jaiswal at his speed. Four and a half years After returning to the test, Archer sent Jaiswal out of the third ball and dismissed it.
Captain Shubman Gill, who was seen in a spectacular form, was on the target of England after scoring 585 runs in the first four innings of this series.
He once saved himself by taking a review off the ball of Chris Woakes, but finally after scoring 16 runs, he got caught in the bouncer’s strategy. Gill’s early dismissal was a major setback for India.
However, KL Rahul appeared in a completely different style. He scored 53 runs in 113 balls, in which his entire focus was on leaving the balls going outside the off stump. He played scoring shots only after getting the opportunity.
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Pant’s support and hope
Rishabh Pant stayed at the crease despite his injury and is currently expected to have a big partnership with Rahul. The presence of these two will decide the direction of India’s innings on the third day.
On the second day of the Lord’s Test, there was a lot of controversy over the ball on the field. Indian players were not happy with the ball’s position. Actually, the second new ball had to be changed only after 10.3 overs. But, the new ball given to the players also got them old and worried, which increased their disappointment.
On this, Indian captain Shubman Gill made a long and sharp debate with the umpires. After his repeated insistence, the umpires were finally forced to change the ball for the second time.
The England team took full advantage of this situation and during this time some important runs were scored, which increased the pressure on India even more.
Lord’s pitch is now giving both pace and movement. As the day increases, reverse swing and irregular boom will create a crisis for Indian batsmen.
India will have to take Rahul-Pant partnership beyond 150 to reach at least 350 in this innings. It will also have to be seen whether the lower order will be able to bat like England or the same old story will be repeated once again.
(The author is associated with the IPL’s Lucknow Super Jants team)
Published by the Collective Newsroom for BBC.