Resilient Indian tail frustrates English bowlers

Bhuvneshwar and Shami blunted the host’s seam attack and found easy pickings from Moeen Ali. The last-wicket pair added 87 runs and ensured that India crossed the 400-mark.

July 10, 2014 10:38 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 05:36 pm IST - Nottingham:

M.S. Dhoni plays a shot during day two of the first Test between England and India at Trent Bridge cricket ground, Nottingham, England.  Photo: AP

M.S. Dhoni plays a shot during day two of the first Test between England and India at Trent Bridge cricket ground, Nottingham, England. Photo: AP

Twice in a span of 24 hours, India found a cumbersome path in the session between lunch and tea here at Trent Bridge. And twice India found a duo that forced the Englishmen to gnash their teeth in agony.

If on the opening day of the first Test, against persevering England bowlers, the visitor mustered a sedate 71 for two largely due to the efforts of Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane. The second day’s second session found rescuers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar (46 batting) and Mohammad Shami (39 batting). Thanks to them, India posted 433 for nine at tea.

In a passage of play that may have turned worse despite the cushioning provided by Vijay (146, 361b, 25x4, 1x6) and M.S. Dhoni (82), as four wickets fell for just three runs, England still saw no light at the end of the tunnel. It just ran into India’s exasperating tail.

Bhuvneshwar and Shami blunted the host’s seam attack and found easy pickings from Moeen Ali. The last-wicket pair added 87 runs and ensured that India crossed the 400-mark. In a city known for its proximity to old coal-mines, Bhuvneshwar and Shami dipped into that ancient resilience that defined miners. It wasn’t entirely dour and both twirled their bats around just as they gained time at the crease.

The English shoulders slumped and the claps from the Indian dressing room gained volume. A tail-ender’s charmed-life was also on view as a skier fell between fielders and Shami’s snick off Liam Plunkett, safely nestled within Matt Prior’s gloves, but evoked no approval from umpire Bruce Oxenford.

The fortitude of Bhuvneshwar and Shami was a marked contrast to the way India unravelled while the fans sipped their after-lunch coffee.

Dhoni was expected to stay and shepherd the tail but the narrative changed once Ravindra Jadeja tried to extend his morning’s aggressive veneer and edged Ben Stokes. Instantaneously, the 344 for six morphed into 346 for nine. The stutter and the fall involved a sequence of Dhoni’s ambitious running, debutant Stuart Binny’s urgency to lash around off-stump and Ishant Sharma’s badly judged leave.

A run-out, a catch and a clean-bowled ensued and just as England fielders turned boisterous, Bhuvneshwar and Shami forced them to sober down.

Earlier, resuming at the overnight 259 for four, India had to consolidate the opening day’s gains. Vijay and Dhoni ensured that the agenda was firmly in place as long as they were around. The duo adopted a wait-and-watch method while Alastair Cook placed a lone slip and the others were clustered on the off-side in a 7-2 format to stifle the drives. Luck too favoured the Indians as Dhoni’s edge (on 51) off Stuart Broad eluded Prior’s grasp. A few overs later, Vijay nearly chopped Broad onto his stumps.

After those trysts with fortune, India resumed normal service. Vijay’s drives “both square and cover” stayed delectable. Dhoni after a play-and-miss routine with Broad, remained doughty and alert, wristing a four down the ground off Stokes and harrying for his singles and twos. The fifth-wicket partnership (126) was hurting England and it was left to James Anderson to cause the first breach. He rapped Vijay’s pad with one that darted in though it looked marginally high.

Jadeja walked in and immediately tucked into Moeen Ali. A pull and two sixes were clattered while the southpaw played his shots. Meanwhile, except for asking the crowd to step in, Cook continued to pack the off-side and soon it was 8-1. Understandably when Stokes took a shy at the stumps while Jadeja whispered his prayers and ran hard, the over-throw left Moeen breathless at square-leg, after sprinting all the way from mid-wicket. India gladly took that extra four.

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