England rushed off to an easy win in the end on the fifth day of the first Test match at Lord’s against India. Needing to pick up nine wickets on the last day’s play, the English skittled India out for 261 to come out victors by 196 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
England easy victors on day five at Lord’s
India had done well the previous day to reach 80 for one by close with two of their batting stalwarts, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman at the crease. Dravid was the centurion from the first innings and had looked comfortable throughout his stay.
India were, however, jolted early when Dravid nicked a harmless delivery outside the off-stump to the wicket-keeper. Even then, with Laxman and Gautam Gambhir batting till about half hour before lunch, one thought that the Indians had a good chance of saving the game.
It was only when Laxman played his second pull shot of the match to get out did the match changed direction. Gambhir departed soon after to Graeme Swann, again, for the second time in the match as India struggled to 142 for four at lunch.
Sachin Tendulkar, down with a viral infection the previous day, came out with a positive mindset but after surviving an lbw appeal – that would have gone against him had the DRS being present – went into his shell. Suddenly, the runs froze and between that lbw appeal and Tendulkar’s dismissal in the end, he had played 40 deliveries for just a single. This negative attitude cost the Indians and Tendulkar a lot, given that the bowlers were able to bowl at will to the great man and in the end, James Anderson got one to nip back in, to trap him lbw.
Suresh Raina’s 78 was the only fighting knock down the order even as wickets continued to fall at the other end to some atrocious shots. Harbhajan Singh’s method of dismissal to follow his match total of one wicket for more than 200 runs seemed to have got the fans’ goat especially.
India were bowled out with almost 29 overs to spare in the day’s play, leaving Kevin Pietersen to pick up the man of the match cheque.
This was the third successive series abroad for the Indians, where they had lost the first Test match rather easily. On both the previous occasions, they had come back strongly to level the series; can they do it again when they play England at Trent Bridge from July 28?
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