“Beware Australia, we can roar overseas too”, is the message from MS Dhoni’s men to Australia after India’s well-earned, 95-run victory over England in the Lord’s Test yesterday.
The men roaring the loudest were India’s tall opening bowler Ishant Sharma and left-hand spinning all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
What a final day to remember for India. Usually at the receiving end of short pitched deliveries, Ishant Sharma delivered knockout punches on the final day. He finished England with a sensational 7 for 74 spell and was the worthy man of the match.
It may be added that England contributed to their fall by some idiotic hooking spree after Joe Root and Moeen Ali had given them a solid foundation in the morning session of the final day.
The exciting Test was tilting towards England after lunch on the fourth day when India lost their opening batsman and anchor man Murali Vijay for 95. The visitors’ were then 7 for 235, only 211 runs ahead and England had almost ten hours to chase around 250 for a win.
But the dynamic Jadeja changed the scenario in a hurry. He batted as if it was a one-day international (perhaps T20) and smashed anything dished out to him, especially Jimmy Anderson with whom he had a spat in the first Test at Trent Bridge a week ago.
New ball? No worries! Bang bang he went, smashing 68 off 57 balls with 9 spectacular fours. A hit on the helmet and on his finger did not inhibit him. He celebrated his 50 with a unique “bat dance”.
Quickie Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a cameo role of 52 off 71 balls with 8 fours. He and Jadeja added 99 runs off 100 balls and now India had a sniff of victory, only her second at Lord’s in 82 years.
India was all out for 342, setting England 319 runs to win in eight and half hours. It was a difficult but not an impossible chase. However, the fired-up Jadeja was not finished with Cook’s men.
As if saying, “Fi-fi fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman” (rather a Sydney-born English opener), he had Sam Robson lbw for 7 and the home team was 1-18 at tea. And all at sea!
At stumps on day-4 they were 4 down for 105 still needing 214 to win.
The surprise packet of the series so far is India’s seamer Kumar who has taken 11 wickets in two Tests so far, with 6 for 82 in the first innings being his best. In fact he became the third Indian bowler after Ladha Amar Singh and Bishan Bedi to capture 6 wickets in an innings in a Lord’s Test.
Ishant Sharma was to join him two days later. In fact, Ishant is the only Indian to grab a 7-fer at Lord’s.
Kumar has also rescued India from batting woes in this series scoring 209 runs at 69.66.
Coming in at no.9, he made 58 and added 111for the last wicket with another quickie Mohammed Shami (51 not out) in the first Test first innings, 91 for the eighth wicket with debutant Stuart Binny (78) in the second innings and 99 with Jadeja in the Lord’s Test as described above.
All three partnerships were crucial for India.
The drawn first Test in Trent Bridge will be remembered for tenth wicket partnerships. To follow in the footsteps of Kumar and Shami, Joe Root (154 not out) added a record 198 runs for the last wicket with man of the match Jimmy Anderson (81).
Murali Vijay has scored most runs in the series so far, 317 runs at 79.25 following his 146 and 52 at Trent Bridge with 24 and 95 at Lord’s. Middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane showed his Rahul Dravid-like stroke-play and temperament in the first innings of the Lord’s Test.
The poor batting forms of England’s captain Alastair Cook and India’s star batsman Rohit Kohli are gigantic problems for both the teams.
However, this victory at Lord’s is a confidence-booster for India prior to their tour of Australia in a few months. In 2011 India was demoralised being whitewashed in England and then whitewashed in Australia as well.
But three years have changed the scenario somewhat. Winning the Lord’s Test after being sent in to bat on a greenish wicket is a big plus for India. It was her first overseas Test win in three years.
We expect a cracking Test series in Australia this summer.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
The way England has started the third Test, they could level the series one-all. Superb batting or ordinary bowling?
Bayman
Guest
Frankie, Good luck to India, I for one hope they do well without actually winning....... And this is the same Duncan Fletcher, if I recall correctly, who came here with England and got belted 5-0 and came back with India for 4-0. Has Duncan ever actually won a Test in Australia? Ever?
E-Meter
Guest
He averages 73 in Australia. He won't be causing any trouble.
fredstone
Guest
You lot came within a whisker of losing the Wanderers test on an uncharacteristily slow and low pitch. Then you got absolutely thumped with impunity in Durban on another uncharachteristicly low and slow pitch. You were never near winning, ask Aus, when Faf's still in winning is a possibility, but a very remote possibility.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Dhoni an inapt captain, Cadfael? I thought so too when he asked Ishant to bowl short-pitched deliveries at England batsmen post lunch on the final day. But did not that win the Test for India? If England selects Trott in subsequent Tests and asks Swann to come back, they can turn the series around. Also Jordan should play.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
India beat a poor England side. The difference between the two really was that India's tail performed better with the bat and ball than England's tail. Vijay and Rahane scored runs as batsmen but so did a couple of the pom batsmen. The game was captained by two inept captains, the tail saving Dhoni. The tail was what it came down to. This won't be the case with the Australian side.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Trott hit a stylish century for Warwickshire yesterday. Have his psychological demons left him? England needs him -- especially now.
Pope Paul vii
Guest
Since when has that ever stopped anyone?
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Paul Giles, India remained competitive because of Bhuvnesh Kumar's 6-fer. But India won because of Ishant's 7-fer, mostly for his intimidating short-pitched menace. Hence his Man of the Match award.
Tom from Perth
Guest
Sayers or Bird would be better
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
You are quite right, Glenn Innes. India has not produced a real fast bowler since Mohammad Nissar in 1930s. Kapil was fast medium but nowhere near Lindwall, Miller, Tyson, Trueman, Thommo, and the WI army of super quicks. How Pakistan has produced so many fast bowlers but not India is a mystery to me.
jameswm
Guest
I dunno about Starc in that role. I think the 3rd seamer needs to keep the pressure on. Starc's more of a strike bowler, and we've already got Mitch. Rhino can do both.
Glenn Innes
Guest
To win in Australia you need a top class express pace bowler..look at England Larwood,Tyson, Snow,Willis = ashes.. the West Indies back in the eighties that is the key to winning in Australia, Australian batsmen are no more fond of facing express pace on bouncy pitches than anyone else is.Do India have such a bowler who can give the Australians something to worry about?
Bakkies
Guest
Vijay aside their top order looks a bit frail against an under performing attack. They will improve if they become more patient as the Aus bowlers will be quicker and more accurate. Possibly with more runs to defend too which opens more doors to attack.
Indian cricket fan
Guest
India have been playing some good cricket overseas in the past year or so. But the inability to finish test matches has been the real problem for India. We could have beaten South Africa and New Zealand but couldn't finish them off from very winnable situations. Remember winning is a habit and if India can inculcate this habit then i don't see any reason with the talented team that we have, we will be able to make a match of it against Australia in their home conditions.
Quitwhinging
Guest
yea true, when they come up against a captain like Clarke and bowlers like Johnson they'll be back to ordinary again, with Sharma serving up filth to Warner, Watto, Clarke, Smith and co the test won't be close
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
India is in an interesting position. Lots of young batsmen and bowlers and some real talent there. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the Series v England pans out. England look utterly demoralised and I'm not sure bringing Buttler in is the greatest idea, they may get more runs out of him but he'd really want to have improved his keeping. Listening to the commentators on TMS, to a man they were all wanting Buttler in and kept talking about his batting. Usual story these days with keepers.
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
Well vaughan and athers think that morgan(eoin not piers) shud be captain but acc. to me broad shud b made the capt.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
Duncan fletcher has added belief to this Indian side, only other man to do so with them was Gary Kirsten. And if we want to beat them 4/0 again, Siddle shouldn't get a look in. Mitch Ryano Third seamer would've been Patto or Hazlewood but both are injured. I'd go with Mitch Starc.
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
Robson wont be in the squad for next ashes mate......technically weak