Tuesday 2 August 2011

Ind vs Eng Test: Massive Defeat For India

Once again England got their act right and India didn't and ended up losing the second Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham by 319 runs. Score | Photos

The only point where the visitors scored above the hosts was with regards to the Ian Bell incident. On Sunday, Dhoni called Ian Bell back after he was run out on a bizarre fashion.

Bell is the same man who had played the 'jelly beans' prank on Zaheer Khan way back in 2007.

ICC promptly termed the move akin to the "Spirit of the Game", something that is gone a miss these days.

On the match though India couldn't score and their famed batsmen fell like a pack of cards on Monday.

England started the day with 441/6 on board - a lead of 374 runs - with Matt Prior (64) and tail-ender Tim Bresnan (47) at the crease. But Praveen Kumar scalped Matt Prior on 73 and their partnership soon ended.

Praveen pitched the ball outside off and a faint edge off Prior's bat was taken by skipper MS Dhoni, though Dhoni fluffed it before grabbing it when the England total was 458. England lost their seventh wicket, but the lead by that time had crossed 400.

Post the drinks break in the first session, Stuart Broad ended up getting run out and Tim Bresnan fell on 90 off Kumar's bowling, but that didn't help India as by that time England had gone past the 500-run mark and were leading by a massive 473 runs.

The long-drawn England innings came to a close on 544 when Ishant Sharma got rid of last man Graeme Swann on 3.

Chasing a mammoth 478-run target, India openers Rahul Dravid and Abhinav Mukund started the innings cautiously even as the England pacers hunted for early wickets.

The cautious approach didn't help as England paceman Stuart Broad sent Rahul David, who scored a ton in the first innings, back early. A nick of his bat was easily gathered by Prior behind the stumps. And India were down to 6/1.

At lunch, the India score was 8/1 and they needed 470 runs even as VVS Laxman and Abhinav Mukund were busy trying to figure out a way past the daunting target.

Immediately into the second session, Laxman was seen walking back with his off stump uprooted to a James Andreson ball. India were down to 14/2.

And it was Sachin Tendulkar's turn to live up to the challenge.

A few tensed moments later, another wicket fell. This time it was the other opener Abhinav Mukund walking back to a Tim Bresnan ball on 3 and India were down to 31/3.

But Bresnan hadn't finished as yet. Next on his list was Suresh Raina. A short one to the left-hander was hit towards the boundary, but it failed clear substitute Scott Elstone in the fine-leg region. India were down to 37/4.

Post that fall, England pacers got busy tormenting Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar with their seam and bounce, but the two could be seen utilising the right-left hand combo for their purpose.

Tendulkar was batting steadily while Yuvraj was fretting a little.

Bresnan had batted well and now he was busy giving his best with the ball. The next man from the Indian camp who became his victim was Yuvraj Singh.

An edge off Yuvraj's bat was lapped up by Alaistar Cook in the slips. Post that wicket India skipper MS Dhoni was seen following suit. He fell leg before to Bresnan on the very next ball.

Bresnan didn't complete his hat-trick, but he certainly had the Indian batsmen on mat. At tea, India were 68/6 and required 410 runs.

The Master Blaster continued to bat in the third session while on the other side Harbhajan Singh too hit a few fine shot.

The moment Master Blaster completed his 60th fifty, his fans at the Trent Bridge Stadium and across the world started praying that their 'God' goes on to convert it into a 100.

But, he failed and a James Anderson ball trapped him leg-before on 56. India fell to 107/7.

Then Tim Bresnan came around to take Harbhajan Singh as well. Harbhajan flashed his bat and wanted the ball past the boundary, but it failed to clear the substitute Elstone in the deep. He fell for 46 - the second highest total among the Indian batsmen after Sachin's 56.

Soon the India's innings came to an ended and England won the match by a massive 319 runs.

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