2nd Test: India beat England by 151 runs, take 1-0 lead in 5-match series

The Indian pacers wreaked havoc as they bowled out England for 120 in their second innings in the final session of the fifth and final day of the second Test at Lord’s. James Anderson was the last wicket to fall as India recorded a rare victory at Lord’s. They won the Test match by 151 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

At tea, England required 205 runs to win as they lost Johnny Bairstow on the final ball before tea. At that time India needed six more wickets to seal the Test match. For India, Mohammed Siraj returned with figures of 4/32. The other pacers to shine were Jasprit Bumrah (3/33) and Ishant Sharma (2/13). Mohammed Shami could only manage to get a single wicket under his belt.

For England, openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley departed for ducks. The English innings was briefly steadied by captain Joe Root (33) and Jos Buttler (25) but they soon fell to the fiery bowling of the Indian pacers.

Earlier, an unbeaten 89-run partnership between Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah helped India give England a target of 272 runs as captain Virat Kohli declared the Indian innings at 298/8. This was India’s highest ninth-wicket stand in a Test match at Lord’s.

India started the day at 181/6, with a 145-run lead. All hopes were on Rishabh Pant, who was the last recognised batsman left. But he was quickly sent back to the pavilion after Ishant Sharma departed cheaply.

Things looked bleak with Bumrah and Shami out in the middle as no one could have thought the Indian tail-enders will produce a magical inning. When the innings ended, Bumrah was on 34* off 64 balls and Shami was on 56* off 70 balls.

While Bumrah hit three boundaries, Shami got six boundaries and a solitary maximum under his belt.

Both the Indian cricketers took on the challenge head-on and played sensible cricket. A worried Joe Root set open fields, allowing Bumrah and Shami to milk the singles, as well.

Kohli was animated after the 9th wicket reached the 50-run partnership. He enjoyed each and every shot of the duo. Their 50-run stand was applauded generously by the Lord’s crowd, mostly Indians but it was their change room that gave them a standing ovation.

Shami waited to play the big hits until Moeen got a few overs in. Shami also became India’s second-highest run-scorer this innings.

At the start of the fifth day, Pant once again charged down the track to smash James Anderson (25-6-49-0) through the covers but Ollie Robinson (16-6-41-2) bowled a beautiful delivery that moved late to induce an outside edge into the keeper’s gloves.

Ishant got a streaky boundary off Anderson but Robinson’s knuckleball caught him plumb in front to make it 209 for 8 when Bumrah joined Shami.