Pacers leave England in tatters
Defiant Broad helps hosts recover from 124 for eight to 221 all out; India finish on 24 for one
Zaheer Khan wasn’t there to lead the attack but India’s younger pace brigade did more than enough to justify its skipper MS Dhoni’s decision to bowl first again in the second Test here at Trent Bridge.
Working in tandem with S Sreesanth, coming in place of the injured Zaheer, the Indian pacemen were impressive, at times even extraordinary, as they bowled England out for 221 on Friday’s opening day. By stumps, India had moved to 24 for the loss of Abhinav Mukund, another 197 runs behind England’s first innings score. Opening the innings in the absence of Gautam Gambhir, with Yuvraj Singh coming in for him, Rahul Dravid survived a few tense moments, including a referral, as did VVS Laxman.
It was a déjà vu for Andrew Strauss and company as they found themselves in a position not too dissimilar to the one they were in last time around against India. Having opted to bowl after a delayed start, India had dismissed hosts for 198. Getting England out for less than 250 was a proposition India would have gladly taken at the start of the match but having reduced them to a precarious 124 for eight by tea, the visitors wouldn’t be too happy for allowing the rival tail to wag so long.
Local boy Stuart Broad (64, 66b, 9x4) struck another half-century and forged two useful partnerships to give England’s innings a semblance of respectability. The left-hander raised 73 in just 70 balls with Graeme Swann and then farmed strike with last man James Anderson to add a further 24 runs as India leaked 97 runs in exchange for the final two wickets.
Frustrating as the final session was for India, they did no harm to their reputation of comeback kings, hitting back in style through their pace bowlers and quickly banishing the disappointment of Lord’s. It had been bright and sunny for the couple days in the run up to the second Test but the weather gods appeared to have aligned themselves into a perfect position for the match. The conditions remained overcast throughout the day as the three-pronged Indian pace attack swung its way through the England batting line-up.
Alastair Cook’s poor run in the series continued as Ishant Sharma (3/66) put an early end to his stay but it was Sreesanth (3/77) and Praveen Kumar (3/45) who inflicted more damage before the Delhi bowler hit the straps again towards the end of second session. Sreesanth, the target of a raucous crowd, justified the faith reposed in him with three vital blows. Working up good pace and getting the ball to shape away from middle and off, the Kerala bowler reaped rich benefits for his disciplined effort.
He bowled a perfect outswinger to cut short Jonathan Trott’s stint with the first ball he bowled to the right-hander. Kevin Pietersen, on the back of a double century in the first Test, lived a charmed life. He pulled Sreesanth twice to the fence and with Strauss still grafting, it was left to the right-hander to pace the innings. His positive approach rubbed on Strauss who drove the bowler down the wicket and England went for lunch at a relatively comfortable 69 for two.
The scenario changed drastically after lunch as Sreesanth set the tone for a frenetic session in which England lost six wickets for the addition of just 55 runs. Pietersen was back in the first over after resumption, first feeling for a Sreesanth delivery and then trying to leave it alone in vain at the last moment. Largely unimpressive in the first session, Praveen got into act, removing Strauss and Eoin Morgan in the space of four balls.
Sreesanth then got rid of Matt Prior, squaring him up with the one that just swayed away while Ian Bell’s luck ran out eventually when his cut off Ishant perilously hung on in Dhoni’s gloves. Bell was the last specialist batsman but Broad produced the best knock of the innings to pull England out of total humiliation.
