Prior rallies England against India
Matt Prior's unbeaten fifty revived England's second innings after
India fast bowler Ishant Sharma's inspired spell had thrown the first
Test at Lord's wide open here on Sunday.
England were 174 for six at tea on the fourth day, a lead of 362
runs, having collapsed to 62 for five when Prior came to the crease.
But Prior was 55 not out at the interval with Stuart Broad, 36 not
out, offering good support in a seventh-wicket partnership so far worth
67.
India were reduced to just three frontline bowlers once again Sunday
as left-arm quick Zaheer Khan remained off the field with the hamstring
strain that had sidelined him for most of this match.
Sharma, at tea, had taken four wickets for 41 runs in 18 overs but
only one of those had come after lunch.
No team has ever made more in the fourth innings to win a Test at
Lord's than the 344 for one posted by the West Indies against England in
1984.
England resumed Sunday on five without loss, a lead of 193 runs. But
it was not long before the 2,000th Test of all-time was being turned on
its head.
Opener Alastair Cook took 27 balls for one run before he was caught
behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off
Praveen Kumar, who had taken a Test-best five for 106 in England's first
innings.
But the real slump started when England captain Andrew Strauss,
trying to break the shackles, was lbw for 32 to off-spinner Harbhajan
Singh after missing a sweep.
His exit left England 54 for two and that soon became 55 for four
thanks to Sharma's double-wicket maiden.
Kevin Pietersen had made a superb 202 not out in England's first
innings 474 for eight declared.
London, Sunday AFP
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS
474-8 dec (K Pietersen 202 no, M Prior 71, J Trott 70; Praveen Kumar 5-106).
INDIA 1ST INNINGS 286 (R Dravid 103 no; S Broad 4-37, C Tremlett 3-80)
ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS
(overnight: 5-0)
A. Strauss lbw b Harbhajan 32
A. Cook c Dhoni b Kumar 1
J. Trott b Sharma 22
K. Pietersen c Dhoni b Sharma 1
I. Bell c Dhoni b Sharma 0
E. Morgan c Gambhir b Sharma 19
M. Prior not out 55
S. Broad not out 36
Extras (b4, lb2, w2) 8
TOTAL (6 wkts,) 174
Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Cook), 2-54 (Strauss), 3-55 (Pietersen), 4-55 (Bell), 5-62 (Trott), 6-107 (Morgan).
Bowling: Kumar 20-2-70-1 (1w); Sharma 18-6-41-4 (1w); Harbhajan 18-1-50-1; Raina 3-1-7-0. |
