England Draws Curtains at Lord’s Under Three Days as India Fails Miserably

Ever since the second Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground had started, India had slumped with every passing moment while England kept going from strength to strength.

Cricket news: India lost the Test by an innings and 159 runs and are down 0-2 in the five-match series

Joe Root and Co. kept their clinical performance as they wrapped up the game on the fourth day, virtually in three days as the first day was entirely lost due to rain.

The Brits won the game and obliterated India by a colossal margin of an innings and 159 runs and most importantly got a lead of 2-0 in the five-match Test series.

England were already leading by 250 runs by the end of the previous day and it was a matter of time before they declared their innings.

Chris Woakes and Sam Curran added some quick runs with some delightful strokes and once Hardik Pandya broke the partnership by dismissing Curran, England declared their innings.

With a deficit of 289 runs, the Indian openers had a herculean task ahead and like the first innings they failed miserably again.

Murali Vijay nipped James Anderson’s delivery for a duck, for the second time in the match, while Anderson also got KL Rahul as India ended the first session at 17/2 in nine overs.

As skipper Virat Kohli was out of the field for 37 minutes because of a back sprain, he did not come out to bat at number four.

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara looked determined and played out 13 overs but Stuart Broad broke the partnership as he found the outside edge of Rahane which was beautifully caught by Keaton Jennings in the slip cordon.

Kohli came to bat at No. 5 and he and Pujara batted out 47 deliveries before Broad ended Pujara’s 87-ball vigil. Broad also took the wicket of Kohli and delivered a body blow.

Wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik’s poor form continued as he became Broad’s fourth victim in the very next ball as India ended the post-lunch session at 66/6 in 32 overs.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya resumed the last session of play but it had become too late to defy the inevitable.

Nevertheless the all-rounders put up a strong fight and played out 69 balls and scored 55 runs which was a momentary cheer for the Indians.

The joy did not last long as Chris Woakes dismissed Pandya with the help from Decision Review System (DRS).

Anderson took the wickets of Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Shami and brought the Poms closer to victory. Woakes trapped Ishant Sharma in front to end the drab encounter at the Home of Cricket.

Brief Scores

India: 107 all out; in 35.2 overs; (Ravichandran Ashwin 29, Virat Kohli 23; James Anderson 5/20, Chris Woakes 2/19)

England: 396/7 in 88.1 overs; (Chris Woakes 137*, Jonny Bairstow 93; Hardik Pandya 3/66, Mohammed Shami 3/96)

India: 130 all out in 47 overs; (Ravichandran Ashwin 33, Hardik Pandya 26; James Anderson 4/23, Stuart Broad 4/44)

England win by an innings and 159 runs