Kumar counters Ballance century

Gary Ballance scored his second Test ton, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took four wickets as India edged ahead at stumps on Day 2 of the Lord's Test.

By The Report by David Hopps | ESPNcricinfo – 10 hours ago

Gary Ballance rescued England with his second Test century. (Reuters)

Scorecard | Action in Images | Cook fails again | Day 1 Report | Schedule

Another failure for Alastair Cook, an increasingly beleaguered England captain, followed by a long, hard grind against a persistent India attack on London's hottest day of the year: this Lord's Test match Friday was never going to grant its favours easily. But Gary Ballance does not look like a batsman who needs an easy life. Increasingly, he suggests he is the rock on which England can build.

Andy Flower, England's previous coach, praised Jonathan Trott as his rock when Trott's departure from last winter's Ashes tour proved to a harbinger of their decline. It might just be that Peter Moores, and his selection panel, have unearthed a rock of his own. Not a gurning rock given to idiosyncratic pitch markings, but a red faced, red necked rock winning seeping admiration among England observers.

There is no instant appeal in Ballance, no flamboyance, no fripperies, no golden curls. He reddens up so quickly that in a series without DRS he is his own walking Hot Spot. But there is resourcefulness by the bucketload. What he again displayed in his second Test hundred at Lord's this summer - Sri Lanka, like India, have also learned of his merit - was a strong technique, based on a preference for the back foot, a fondness for shots square on the off side vaguely reminiscent of Andrew Strauss and, as he established himself, some full-bodied drives from strong forearms.

He will curse his misfortune as he fell to the third over with the second new ball, a leg side strangle won by a little bit of wayward outswing from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, leaving him with four wickets for an impressive day. Matt Prior joined the nightwatchman, Liam Plunkett, who had been sent out more than seven overs from the close to protect him. Closing without further damage at 219 for 6, England trailed by 76 runs.Bhuvneshwar Kumar continues to be India's star performer in England. (Getty Images)

This has been an excellent contest and India performed with determination on an easing pitch, the bowlers maintaining good lines throughout the day and their ground fielding reliable. The spinners are also in this game on a dry, grassy surface - not that either side is fielding one of any renown.

Ballance should have fallen on 32 when he edged Stuart Binny between MS Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan at first slip, both of them equally culpable for not responding. Binny, bowling his medium-paced wobblers on the ground where his father, Roger, performed so well in the 1983 World Cup final, should have marked his second over in his second Test with a first Test wicket.

Instead, Binny became a catalyst for his century: five boundaries struck off him in eight balls. He drove him through the off side off back and front foot then clipped Binny for two more teeth-gritting boundaries in his next over to pass 100. Determined not to give it away, he produced a barn-door defence to the next ball only for his timing to be so perfect by then that it whistled for four down the ground.

It was a strong-willed, grounded response by Ballance, considering that he arrived at Lord's for the start of the match to discover that he had achieved Minor Celebrity status, in the form of newspaper photographs of a boozy night in in Nottingham after the Trent Bridge Test and the gentlest of reminders from England about his public image. His hundred achieved, he opted to keep his shirt on.

England are under considerable pressure. They suffered all day for their failure to take advantage of excellent bowling conditions on the day one. India's first-innings 295 was inflated; England's batsmen were deflated. India's bowlers stuck impressively to basic principles in conditions where high humidity encouraged the swing bowlers and there was still some nibble in the pitch, although neither were as evident as on the opening day when Ajinkya Rahane played with such a flourish in making 103.

Cook's day started well when he held a juggling catch at first slip - Ben Stokes finding Mohammed Shami's edge in the second over of the day - to ensure that India's last pair added only five to their overnight total: this time at least there would be no last-wicket heroics.

But his demoralising run of scores will again introduce the conversation England's hierarchy simply does not want to hear: his right to the England captaincy. He is beset by criticism both of his tactical nous and dried-up batting returns. It is 26 innings since he Cook scored the last of his England record 25 hundreds, a run during which his average has dropped into the 20s.

His footwork was static as Kumar caught him on the crease with an outswinger that continued down the slope from a good length. Dhoni collected an easy catch from a languid push, leaving Cook to reflect on a summer of mounting misery as he returned to the pavilion.

Kumar deserved recognition for his part in Cook's wicket. He bowled him an over of inswingers the previous over before producing one which left Cook, ensuring that his otherwise confident and well-managed start fell prey to what has now become a recognisable bat dangle.

Criticism sounded immediately. Geoffrey Boycott, commentating on BBC Radio's Test Match Special, called for Cook to return to county cricket to return his form. But even if England took such a desperate move, the fixture list would afford him no release with the counties about to commit to a month of predominantly limited-overs cricket.

Releasing Cook from the strains of captaincy is equally difficult. England, who have not won for nine Tests, their worst run in 20 years, have pinned their entire strategy on allowing Cook to develop a side in his own image and there are no obvious contenders to replace him. His failures, though, cannot continue for ever, especially if England go behind in the series.

Sam Robson, who was dropped off Shami the over before Cook was dismissed - a regulation chance for Rahane at second slip - did not make good his let off. He became Kumar's second victim when he drove at one that faded down the slope, giving Dhoni another simple catch.

Ian Bell and Joe Root perished in the afternoon. Bell's form has also lapsed and he gave Kumar a third wicket when he attempted to leave a ball that bounced and chased him from just short of a length and gloved to Ravindra Jadeja at third slip, a shaken response to a challenging but by no means unplayable ball.

Root's wicket belonged to Jadeja. He was beaten in the flight by a ball which skidded into his pads, but it was a bad decision by umpire Bruce Oxenford who missed an inside nick. Ballance and Moeen Ali then assembled a fifth-wicket stand of 98 after tea before Moeen's careful resistance ended with quite a weak lbw when M Vijay was granted a brief perambulation. 


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Cook fails again as India strike

The 29-year-old Essex batsman's poor run of form has also coincided with an England slump that has seen the team go nine Tests without a victory ahead of this match at Lord's.

Cook leaves the field after his dismissal at Lord's.Scorecard | Action in Images

LONDON - England captain Alastair Cook's run of low scores continued when he was caught behind for 10 on the second day of the second Test against India at Lord's on Friday.

The left-handed opener, not moving his feet, nicked a good length ball just outside off stump from seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar that swung away and India captain and wicketkeeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made no mistake with the catch.

Cook's exit left England 22 for one in reply to India's first innings 295 and meant it was now 26 innings since he had scored the last of his England record 25 hundreds, during which time his average has dropped into the 20s.

The 29-year-old Essex batsman's poor run of form has also coincided with an England slump that has seen the team go nine Tests without a victory ahead of this match at Lord's -- their worst winless streak for more than 20 years.

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott, commentating on BBC Radio's Test Match Special, re-iterated his call for Cook to take a break from the Test arena and return to county cricket in a bid to regain form.

"That's a disappointment for Alastair Cook -- he has been playing well and then he went back to his old ways with no footwork and paid the price," Boycott said.

"Test cricket is a tough place to find your form -- that's why people like me suggest the best way forward is to go back to your county and get some runs."

Boycott's fellow former Yorkshire and England batsman Michael Vaughan praised India's tactics.

"It's the first one where Alastair Cook dangled the bat. He has been playing so well, but he couldn't help himself.

"Bhuvneshwar Kumar set up Alastair Cook perfectly in the last over -- he angled six balls in and then he got one to swing away in the next over. Brilliant tactics by India," insisted Vaughan, England's 2005 Ashes-winning captain.

Rahane's hundred turns tables on England

Ajinkya Rahane scored a well-compiled century to help rescue India's first innings on the opening day of the second test against England at Lord's.

By The Report by David Hopps | ESPNcricinfo – Thu 17 Jul, 2014 5:30 AM IST

India 290 for 9 (Shami 14*, Ishant 12*, Anderson 4-55) v England

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details 

India will take sustenance from the fact that they have stared down a sinister Lord's greentop and pronounced that they are a long way removed from the submissive outfit that lost 4-0 on their last tour to England. That they scrapped throughout was undeniable but the dominant innings that finally rewarded a day of hard labours was not as much a stare-down as a display of dancing eyes and neat footwork, an exceptional counter-attacking hundred from Ajinkya Rahane that washed residual ill feeling from an engrossing opening to the second Test.

Rahane's 103 came to grief 15 minutes before the close, courtesy of a nonchalant left-handed catch in his follow-through by James Anderson, an over in which Rahane had driven him confidently through the covers for his second Test hundred. No matter how fulfilling his career, he will not make too many better.

It felt like an appropriate end to a classically-paced innings, which was necessarily cautious as India, despite their best efforts, lost seven wickets for 145, but which then spread into a joyous second 50 at a run a ball as England's pace quartet failed to make use of ideal fast-bowling conditions. Stuart Broad's shake of the head and kick at the ball as India's last pair saw out the day was an apt summation of England's mood.

Ajinkya Rahane celebrates his first century in England. (AP Photo)

All it needed to complete such rare impropriety was an MCC member, his bacon-and-egg blazer frying in the heat, to strip off to the waist in the Long Room in the manner of Gary Ballance in a Nottingham night club and St John's Wood would have never seemed the same again. Fortunately, the members held their nerve. More than the England attack did. They managed one good session out of three.

For Anderson, the leader of the attack, and a man under siege, Lord's was designed as if to order. Cook had remarked: "He will be desperate just to let his cricket do the talking." India would have observed that there is a first time for everything, but as well as a zip in the pitch there seemed to be a zip on Anderson's mouth and, as he bowled with craft to return 4 for 55, his habitual sledging, as far as could be ascertained, was absent. Rahane played him beautifully, collecting 33 of those runs including a six over long-on.

Variously regarded as sledging devil incarnate or a victim of supreme over-reaction, depending on your point of view, Anderson has trudged wearily across unresponsive England Test pitches for the past year. Now, as he braced himself for an impending ICC investigation which could drag on for the entire summer if the ECB's legal team get their way, he finally had conditions to relish.

At a time of greatest need, records fell his way. He removed Shikhar Dhawan at third slip with his 11th delivery to outdo Fred Trueman as England's leading wicket-taker in home Tests. In his third over of the afternoon, he summoned away movement to add Virat Kohli, the most prized wicket of all, to a regulation keeper's catch: Ian Botham duly fell as the leading wicket-taker in Lord's Tests. His dismissal of Rahane had no record attached, but in cricketing terms it was the most heartfelt. That he has served England admirably was again beyond question.

Ben Stokes almost matched him. His natural length is shorter than these conditions demanded, but he strove to adjust, maintained speeds just short of 90mph and bowled some of the best balls of the day. Broad was below par, but the main under performer was Liam Plunkett, who was well down on pace, huffing and puffing in the heat, England's visits to a health farm - mud baths a speciality - not disguising the draining effects of back-to-back Tests.

To lose both openers by the lunch interval was damage that India would privately have accepted as the ball swung with the enthusiasm of a young puppy. There was not just swing but seam to contend with. But if the pitch was green, India's batsmen were not, more tutored these days perhaps, attitudes hardened by the jowly old sea dog, Duncan Fletcher, and technical advice from Rahul Dravid.

Ballance had awoken to celebrity headlines of "Boozy Ballance" after a photograph of his wind-down following the Trent Bridge Test had been daubed across the papers. His official ticking off had been a token one, to placate the media. Stationed at third slip, he held his catches rather better than his drink. Dhawan fell to Anderson's lavish movement, playing perfectly respectably at a ball that pitched outside leg stump. M Vijay got a leading edge against Plunkett which would have left Ballance briefly unsighted as he tried to turn the ball into the leg side.

On an unsatisfying morning, England had cause to regret two missed chances by Matt Prior, who has not been short of cumbersome moments this summer. Vijay escaped before scoring when Prior moved leadenly for a low catch in front of first slip and Kohli should have been taken off the last of the session when Moeen Ali, bowling the traditional spinner's final over before lunch, saw a straightforward catch put down.

It was a scorching day, with more to come on the morrow. Alastair Cook won the toss, gulped and chose to bowl. It was the right call, however frustrated he would have been at the close. The day suited English traditions: swing for those who knew how to use it and a pitch with enough seam and carry to create interest, the sort of pitch that has kept Test cricket in the hearts and minds of the English public. That should never be betrayed.

It was six overs before Anderson conceded a run, but when his last ball was nonchalantly flicked to the long leg boundary by Cheteshwar Pujara, it was the first sign that India had the capacity to survive. Pujara stuck it out gamely, three hours in making 28, finally studding off side and leg side in turn with two stylish boundaries, only for Stokes to shake his middle stump with one which came back up the slope. He was one of four India wickets to go between lunch and tea, comfortably England's most impressive session as they finally hit greentop lengths.

Jadeja made 3. With the crowd yearning for Anderson to return to the attack - he had bowled 12 overs but a quick foray would have done no harm - instead Cook chose decorum, continued with the spin of Moeen, and Jadeja thrust his front pad at the ball in old-fashioned manner to fall lbw.

There was a milestone, too, not just for Anderson, but for Broad, who made MS Dhoni his 250th Test wicket. Dhoni's innings was India's most unconvincing, a few exploratory strolls down the wicket and, with only 1 to his name, a furtive edge to the keeper. It begged the question whether he can bat at No. 6 in such exacting conditions.

After tea, England were seen off by Rahane. He played the ball late, coped with the seam and bounce like he will tell you a Mumbai batsman should, and then let his instincts flourish. Plunkett's resorting to a short, round-the-wicket attack - an understandable if somewhat two-dimensional tactic on featherbeds - looked a desperate ploy. That was England's low spot of the day.

England, at one stage, would never have envisaged taking the second new ball. But they grabbed it with apprehension at 223 for 7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's solid support in an eighth-wicket stand of 90 in 24 overs ended when his stumps were spread-eagled in Broad's first over, but by the time Rahane fell to Anderson, 20 balls from the close, India felt the more contented of the sides. England will hope to see the pitch become more straw-coloured under a hot sun and for the seam and swing they have pined for to disappear conveniently for a day or two.
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Dhoni implacable on Anderson

James Anderson has riled many opponents in an illustrious Test career, but when it came to his disagreement with Ravindra Jadeja, India's captain MS Dhoni saw a chance to make a stand.

By Sidharth Monga | ESPNcricinfo – Wed 16 Jul, 2014 5:30 AM IST

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It is usually the other way around. MS Dhonilikes to keep his India team in a bubble, he does not acknowledge the grandness of things because he believes such an approach keeps them from performing at their best. WACA, Wankhede; Test, Twenty20 - they are all the same, or at least he tries to keep it that way until the games begin.

Yet in the middle of his press conference a day before the second Test of this series, Dhoni reminded the journalists: "Let's talk about Lord's. We all know the importance of Lord's." What irony.

This is, of course, Lord's. This is, of course, an important Test match, the second of a series that refused to take off in the first because of a drab pitch. But there was a reason Dhoni wantedto talk about Lord's.

This also involves two players who could be banned by the time the third Test starts. James Andersoncould miss two to four, Ravindra Jadeja could miss one. They might not miss any. They might someday play for the same IPL team. They might even get into exhibition bouts once they are retired. One thing that will not emerge, however, is a boastful spat with two different versions such as in the altercation between Ian Chappell and Ian Botham.

The sketchiness of the legal language as the information emerges is quite laughable yet this is a serious matter that has potential of becoming messy. This is the first time an international player has been charged with a level 3 offence since 2007-08 when Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds collided. There is no video evidence here, which could make this one team's word against the other.

No one is talking facts right now, but what we know is this. On day two of the Trent Bridge Test, walking back for lunch, between the playing field and changing rooms, Anderson allegedly pushed Jadeja who had allegedly turned around suddenly in an aggressive manner. There had been continuous sledging in the last over before lunch when Jadeja survived an lbw shout. The ICC will now go through its process of appointing a commissioner to rule on the matter.

The players and BCCI and ICC are giving out precious little, but what ESPNcricinfo has been able to establish is this. Dhoni initiated the process the next day, which was Friday. There was pressure from both respective boards, now part of the exclusive clique of three that runs international cricket, to resolve the issue without an official complaint, but Dhoni put his foot down.

An ICC lawyer travelled to England on Friday, but could not broker peace, and on Tuesday this charge became official. On Wednesday England responded with a level 2 charge against Jadeja. With video evidence lacking, India's witnesses have been Gautam Gambhir and R Ashwin. Both the sides are claiming off the record to have at least one clinching neutral witness on their side.

Alastair Cook told BBC he will be surprised if Anderson is banned, an India squad member said off the record that Anderson toh ghus gaya. In essence: he is a goner.

What we are getting from the two teams is inferences. Cook is saying this is India's way of eliminating England's best bowler, also the Man of the Match at Trent Bridge. There might be merit to this, what with India being the most powerful board and with Duncan Fletcher, who does not mind a bit of gamesmanship, as their coach. After all, aren't they trying to get the ODI playing conditions changed just before the World Cup because the new ones are hampering their slower bowlers?

Then again Dhoni's India are not known to playing cricket in this confrontational manner. At Trent Bridge, three years ago, he called back Ian Bell, who was well and fairly run out. In an ODI in Brisbane in 2011-12, they retracted a mankading appeal against Lahiru Thirimanne, who continued to back up too far in the same match, and whose team-mates incidentally mankaded an England batsman earlier this English summer.

When Dhoni was told of this Cook allegation, it was the first time he became expressive in an otherwise cool and collected press conference. He suggested Jadeja was the victim here, not Anderson. He also spoke of how at times in the past his team-mates have been goaded into ill-advised actions by the opposition's sledging. India are indignant in an enough-is-enough way. Another member of their touring party said: "This is like being blamed for coming to police when your house has been burgled."

This is not as ugly as the last time a level 3 offence was registered - and that could be because nobody has seen this - but it has similarities. Back then Anil Kumble went to the Australian dressing room, but Ricky Ponting would not have any of it. It is England this time who are aggrieved that this has become a big official issue.

Just like the two protagonists of Sydney 2007-08, the two individuals involved here have a history of rubbing opponents the wrong way, although this should in no way establish anyone's guilt or innocence.

Anderson is known to be a gentle person off the field, which comes across in his press conferences, but moody and confrontational on it. For some reason he ends up riling the opposition more than, say, Stuart Broad, who is far from mealy-mouthed on the field too. It was Anderson whose "f****** elbow" Michael Clarke wanted broken. Anderson has also bowled more Test overs - 996 - over the last two years than anyone in the world has; Broad is next with 826. He might have been near the edge.

Jadeja, he who turned around suddenly, is ironically not known for turning - he turns only the odd ball in a spell. He is ridiculed for having scored three first-class triple-centuries on flat pitches in India; he is not much of a batsman as we have seen. Yet India have insisted on him, and his bowling has shown merit enough to become a Test spinner.

He has a fat IPL contract with Dhoni's team, and is managed by Dhoni's best friend and manager. Cricket players are a small world, they notice these things, and they are not known for liking Jadeja much. If Anderson is the habitual sledger, Jadeja is that annoying successful and rich man who not many believe should be.

There is one dissimilarity from Sydney, though. No one is going to threaten to take his bat and ball and go home. These two are part of the Big Three. The cricketing world is not big enough to be able to have just one friend. This will end much more amicably.

The only positive to have come out of this is that two boards have left the cricketing issue to the cricketers, and have not pulled any punches. There have been some efforts to keep this down, but eventually the bosses have trusted the judgement of Dhoni and Cook in a cricketing matter that has the potential of souring their financial ties. One can always hope.

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Anderson charged in Jadeja incident

James Anderson has been charged for allegedly 'abusing and pushing Ravindra Jadeja' in the 1st Test.

By ESPNcricinfo staff | ESPNcricinfo – Tue 15 Jul, 2014 5:30 AM IST

In the heat of the moment (Getty)England fast bowler James Anderson has been charged under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for allegedly "abusing and pushingRavindra Jadeja" on the second day of the first Investec Test at Trent Bridge.

Anderson faces a ban of at least two Tests if he is found guilty as the minimum sanction for a Level 3 violation is four suspension points and two equates to missing one Test. He now faces a hearing which, according to the ICC code, needs to take place within 14 days.

The complaint was not brought by the umpires but by the India team manager, Sunil Dev, who told ESPNcricinfo he lodged the complaint only after confirming the incident with India captain MS Dhoni, other players and coach Duncan Fletcher. Players from both sides could be called to give evidence at the hearing.

"Mahi [Dhoni] and everyone complained that he [Anderson] physically touched him [Jadeja] and pushed him. It was all over the dressing room," Dev said. "It is serious matter only because you can't push anybody. So I put in a complaint with the match referee."

The ECB reacted with surprise and anger that India had reported Anderson for what they described as a "minor incident" in a press release. In retaliation, the ECB notified its intention of lodging a complaint against Jadeja as well.

"James Anderson categorically denies the accusations made against him and the ECB have pledged their total support for the player should he be charged," the board said.

Though Dev did not respond to the ECB reaction, another India team official said had it actually been a minor incident, it would not have warranted a complaint.

The alleged incident took place after the players left the field for lunch on the second day and that it was reportedly a continuation of a verbal altercation between Anderson and Jadeja as they were walking off.

Anderson was Man of the Match in the first Test after scoring 81, a maiden professional half-century, at No. 11 as part of the world record final-wicket stand 198 with Joe Root which took England from a position where they were in danger of losing the Test to one where they were able to put India under pressure on the final day.

During India's second innings Anderson had Jadeja caught behind shortly after lunch on the final day, his fourth and last wicket for a match which was back-breaking work for the pace bowlers.

There has been debate about whether Jadeja will keep his place for the Lord's Test ahead of offspinner R Ashwin, after going wicketless in 35 overs at Trent Bridge, although indications are that India could remain unchanged, which means he and Anderson will be head-to-head again in the middle.

Anderson was charged under Article 2.3.3, which states: "Where the facts of the alleged incident are not adequately or clearly covered by any of the above offences, conduct that either: (a) is contrary to the spirit of the game; or (b) brings the game into disrepute.

"Level 3 charges are referred to a Judicial Commissioner for adjudication," the ICC continued. "As such, where required under Article 5.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, the ICC will appoint a Judicial Commissioner who will hold a hearing as soon as reasonably practicable. These details will be announced in due course.

"All Level 3 breaches carry a penalty of between four and eight suspension points. Two suspension points equates to a ban of one Test, or two ODIs, depending on which type of match is scheduled next for the suspended player."
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A Test of tail-enders

It was fitting that it took yet another rearguard effort for India to draw the Trent Bridge Test.

India 457 (Vijay 146, Dhoni 82) and 391 for 9 decl (Binny 78, Bhuvneshwar 63*) drew withEngland 496 (Root 154*, Anderson 81, Bhuvneshwar 5-82)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Having started the day with the draw seemingly a formality, India suffered a serious scare as England took three wickets for 17 runs in the first hour of the morning. But Stuart Binny steered them back to safety and was looking on course for a century on debut before Moeen Ali had him lbw with ten minutes to go for tea. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then scored his second half-century of the match - only the second time anyone had done this from No. 9 - and England didn't even get to begin a second innings as the players shook hands when MS Dhoni declared at the stroke of the final hour.

DREAM DEBUT: Stuart Binny (Getty Images)By then, Alastair Cook had treated the Trent Bridge crowd to one over of donkey-drop offspin and one over of gentle medium-pace, with which he had Ishant Sharma caught behind down the leg side. Cook's Bob Willis impersonations summed up the Test match, during which it had become increasingly difficult to assess the two sets of players, on a surface with close to nothing in it for the bowlers. Years from now, it will mostly be remembered for the lower-order batting records it produced.

Binny showed his batting ability, but it can't be said he completely justified his selection, even if it would be harsh to judge his seam bowling on this pitch. He might even find himself in the strange position of being left out of the second Test after coming close to a century on debut and helping save a match from a wobbly position.

Binny walked in with India six down and leading by 145, with two-and-a-half sessions remaining. England's seamers were getting the ball to reverse under cloudy skies, and Ravindra Jadeja had faced 33 balls at the other end without getting off the mark. But Binny radiated calm right from the start, and looked more secure in defence than either Jadeja or MS Dhoni had done before him. He punished the loose balls confidently, and had moved to 26 by lunch to take the lead close to 200.

The seventh-wicket partnership moved to 65 before James Anderson finally dismissed Jadeja, having tormented him all morning. Jadeja had been beaten numerous times before finally edging the angled delivery to Matt Prior. India's lead at that point was 210, and England might have felt they still had a sniff but Bhuvneshwar Kumar came in and dampened their hopes, proving as immovable as he had been in the first innings.

Binny by then had moved into the 30s, and he didn't take long in getting to 50, pulling and steering Liam Plunkett for successive fours before reaching the mark with a single. His strokeplay grew in range when Moeen Ali came on, and he moved quickly into the 70s with a boundary nearly every over against the offspinner, including a reverse-sweep and a flat, inside-out six over extra cover. With plenty of time left in the session it looked as though he could complete a century before tea but Moeen turned one in from around the wicket to trap him lbw.

The day had begun after a 15-minute rain delay, and Stuart Broad and Anderson immediately found reverse swing under cloudy skies. In the second over of the morning, Broad snaked the ball into Virat Kohli and struck him just in front of off stump. First ball of Broad's next over drew Rahane forward. Having seen both bowlers finding consistent reverse into the right-hander, Rahane chose to play at the ball to protect his off stump. It stayed its course, however, and kissed his outside edge through to Prior.

Broad could have had another wicket four overs later. MS Dhoni went after a length ball outside off and got a thick edge that went to Alastair Cook at first slip but he dropped a simple knee-height chance. It didn't prove a costly miss, though. Dhoni and India had only added six more runs to their respective totals when Plunkett replaced Broad and struck first ball. Dhoni, looking to play across the line to a full, inswinging delivery, missed the ball and saw it ricochet off his front pad onto the stumps.

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NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 13: England captain Alastair Cook celebrates dismissing Ishant Sharma of India during day five of 1st Investec Test match between England and India at Trent Bridge on July ... more 

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England at that point might have sensed a first Test win in 11 months, having been down and out at one stage. India might have feared yet another overseas defeat in a Test match they had dominated for long periods. Neither side was good enough to force a win on such a surface, but both sides seemed bad enough, at times, to lose.
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Indian seam scuttles England

1st TEST, 3rd DAY: Bhuvneshwar and Ishant combine for seven; England trail by 105, one wicket remaining.

England 352 for 9 (Root 78*, Ballance 71, Robson 59, Bhuvneshwar 4-61) trail India 457 by 105 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

It was just like the second day. England's batsmen dominated the first session, India's bowlers took a clump of wickets in the second session, and England's lower order frustrated the bowlers after tea. India were on the verge of taking a massive lead and possibly bowling England out short of the follow-on mark before Joe Root averted the danger along with the lower order to end the day unbeaten on 78. Root put on 78 with Stuart Broad, and an unbroken 54 with No. 11 James Anderson as England ended the day trailing by 105.

His best spell in recent memory: Ishant SharmaThe pitch remained slow and unresponsive through the third day, but India's seamers got more out of it by bowling a much straighter line. Where India's batsmen defended 288 balls from England's seamers and left 257 balls alone, England's batsmen, by stumps, had defended 175 balls and only left 87 alone. It took until the 33rd over of the day, and the second over of the post-lunch session, for India to taste any success.

It came from Ishant Sharma, who got the ball to duck back in from a good length to make Robson pay for staying stuck in his crease. The ball hit his front pad before cannoning onto his back pad and umpire Bruce Oxenford had little hesitation in giving him out, even if Hotspot picked up what might have been a faint inside edge.

The umpires changed the ball two overs later, after it looked to have gone out of shape. And the replacement, much to India's delight, showed itself far more responsive to the clouds that had gathered overhead, after two clear days. Ishant immediately got it to curl late into the left-handed Gary Ballance and ping him on the front pad - this time, there was absolutely no doubt about the decision. Only two Indian batsmen had been dismissed bowled or lbw. All of England's top three had been dismissed with no help from fielders.

Ian Bell caressed his way to 25 before he fell victim to indecision, bottom-edging Ishant to the keeper while trying to withdraw his bat from a short, rising ball outside off. Indifferent bounce consumed Moeen Ali ten overs later, when he took his eyes of a Mohammed Shami bouncer that didn't quite rise as expected and ended up gloving the ball to slip.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar came to the party with ten minutes to go for tea, swinging the ball away from the right-handed Matt Prior and then the left-handed Ben Stokes to have both caught behind. Prior had reason to feel aggrieved by his dismissal, with replays showing a fair sliver of daylight between ball and outside edge.

After tea, Broad went after the bowling, driving and slashing on the up through the off side. Despite the old ball doing a bit, India took the new ball two overs after it was due, and the runs came even quicker, Broad striking five fours in the first two new-ball overs. The mood rubbed off on Root as well, and he got in an uncharacteristically big front-foot stride to drive Bhuvneshwar sweetly through the off side.

Just when the partnership was assuming dangerous proportions, Bhuvneshwar got one to straighten from leg stump and hit Broad's front pad in front of leg stump. He had his fourth wicket seven overs later, when he nipped one back to bowl Liam Plunkett.

India still had Anderson to get past, though. In his last Test match against Sri Lanka, he had blocked out 54 balls before being dismissed two balls short of saving the match and the series. Here, he came out with a different approach. Root initially farmed the strike, placing the ball adroitly into the outfield to take the singles that India gifted him with their deep fields.

Given the strike, Anderson went for his shots, punching Bhuvneshwar through the covers, reverse-sweeping Jadeja, and only looking uncomfortable when the fast bowlers dug it in. Root and Anderson batted for 14.3 overs, and could yet overhaul the 111 runs that Bhuvneshwar and Shami, India's last-wicket pair, had put on on the second day.

In the morning session, Robson and Ballance had looked largely untroubled, and had seemed by lunch to have won the contest of patience against India's seamers. Ballance took guard outside the crease to negate the effect of his extravagant back-and-across trigger movement and get relatively close to the pitch of the ball when the bowlers drew him forward. Robson got nicely on top of the ball when he defended off the front foot, and even Bhuvneshwar's inswing, by and large, didn't cause his head to fall over.

The only chance in the session came when Robson, on 43, inside-edged Ravindra Jadeja as he tried to work the ball around the corner. Virat Kohli dived to his left from leg slip and got his fingers under the ball but couldn't hold on.

The bowlers lost some of their discipline late in the session, and Ballance capitalised to beat Robson to fifty. There had been no fours for 12 overs before Ballance took three off one Ishant over, two clipped off his legs and one slapped past backward point.

Stuart Binny, who replaced Ishant from that end, released a little more of the pressure, leaking four boundaries in his first three overs, and both batsmen reached their 50s with steered fours down to third man off him. Binny didn't bowl in the second session, and only sent down one over after tea, and with Jadeja threatening to play a bigger role in England's second innings, India may come to wonder if they should have gone with an extra spinner.
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