2nd Test: India's Lead Goes Past 200 After Siraj Picks 6-70 Despite Smith-Brook Fightback (ld)

Nitish Kumar Reddy: Jamie Smith and Harry Brook produced a stunning England fightback via their huge 303-run stand for the sixth wicket. But India continued to hold a strong position as their lead went past 200 at stumps on day three of the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston here on Friday.

Mohammed Siraj, who began the day by dismissing Joe Root and Ben Stokes off successive deliveries, stood up to be the star of India’s bowling line-up by picking an incredible 6-70 from 19.3 overs. Siraj, who picked his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests (the first time of it coming in England) and Akash Deep, who ended with 4-88, ensured India grabbed a significant 180-run lead.

England, after being reduced to 84/5 in the second over of the morning session, were rescued by a dazzling Brook hit 158 off 234 balls, laced with 17 fours and a six. Smith, on the other hand, was at his magnificent best. But he ran out of partners to be stranded at 184 not out - the highest Test score by any England wicketkeeper in Tests, laced with 21 fours and a six.

After Brook fell, England slumped from 387/5 to 407 all out, as the second new ball did the trick for India to pick the remaining five wickets in 7.2 overs. Interestingly, England had six ducks in their first innings - the first time any team had that many noughts in a 400-plus score in Tests.

KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a good start in their second innings, as they reached 64/1 in 13 overs and led England by 244 runs at stumps. Though Jaiswal fell for 28, Rahul managed to be unbeaten on the same score, with Karun Nair giving him company on seven not out, as India made themselves the stronger team in this match.

Siraj began by striking twice in the second over of the morning session, as Root tickled one off his pads behind to Rishabh Pant. On the very next delivery, Siraj found zip and bounce in a short ball to Stokes, who looked to fend away, but it took the glove edge behind to Pant for a simple catch, as the England captain bagged his first golden duck in Tests, leaving his team in disarray.

But after that, the runs began flowing in England’s favour. Brook was gorgeous in his drive and flick off Siraj, while Smith slammed him down the ground for four, before pulling and driving Akash for boundaries. Brook got his second fifty of the series by thumping a drive off Siraj, before Smith made a mockery of India’s short-ball ploy.

He swivelled Prasidh Krishna for three fours and a six on the leg-side fence, before driving him for another boundary, as 23 runs came off the 32nd over. After getting his fifty off 43 balls, Smith again dispatched Prasidh’s short balls for four and six, before taking three fours off Washington Sundar and dispatching Ravindra Jadeja for a four and six again.

Smith smashing Indian spinners with ease continued when he hammered Jadeja for two fours – the second of which was a sweep and brought up his sensational second century in the format, as the venue roared in awe of a thrilling Test century, before lunch break came.

The second session began with Brook dabbing in the gap between gully and second slip off Prasidh Krishna to get his 13th boundary and his ninth Test hundred. He celebrated it by looking up to the sky, as a gesture of remembering his grandmother, Pauline, who passed away in March 2024.

Smith continued to be unstoppable by easily picking boundaries off Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. A rather small period of no runs was broken by Smith, who drove Reddy straight down the ground and then pulled the Indian seamer for back-to-back boundaries. Akash’s reintroduction into the bowling attack didn’t bring much returns as Smith pulled him easily before steering a single off Mohammed Siraj to reach 150 for the first time in Tests.

Brook then reverse-swept and pulled Sundar for two boundaries, before walking off the field with Smith after amassing 106 runs in another session belonging to England. A rattled India knew their only hope of separating Smith and Brook would come when the second new ball is available, five overs after the final session begins.

The final session began with Brook getting three boundaries off Ravindra Jadeja, the second of which got him his fifth 150-plus score. But after the second new ball was taken, Akash broke the 303-run stand by getting a length ball to seam back in and go past Brook’s defence to hit his top of off-stump, as the batter’s brilliant knock came to an end on 158 off 234 balls.

More breakthroughs came for India when Chris Woakes was tempted into the drive by Akash and edged to first slip, while Siraj got a length ball to come in and trap Brydon Carse lbw. Siraj completed his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, also his maiden fifer in Tests in England, by trapping Josh Tongue lbw for a duck with a full and straight delivery.

After welcoming Shoaib Bashir with a brutal bouncer which hit him on the helmet, he shouldered arms to a nip-backer from Siraj, and it crashed into the stumps, giving the workhorse India pacer an incredible six-wicket haul, and a hug from Jasprit Bumrah after walking off the field.

India’s second innings began with Rahul driving nicely off Brydon Carse for four, before Jaiswal punished the and Chris Woakes’ short balls to collect boundaries. After Rahul punched Woakes for four, Jaiswal took three more boundaries off Carse.

Rahul continued to be sublime in punching, driving, and cutting Woakes for three boundaries, Jaiswal flicked Josh Tongue for four, before the pacer had the last laugh by trapping the young opener with a nip-backer for 28. Rahul and Karun Nair then took a boundary each to end a strong day of Test cricket for India.

India’s second innings began with Rahul driving nicely off Brydon Carse for four, before Jaiswal punished the and Chris Woakes’ short balls to collect boundaries. After Rahul punched Woakes for four, Jaiswal took three more boundaries off Carse.

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India 587 and 64/1 in 13 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 28, KL Rahul 28 not out; Josh Tongue 1-12) lead England 407 all out in 89.3 overs (Jamie Smith 184 not out, Harry Brook 158; Mohammed Siraj 6-70, Akash Deep 4-88) by 244 runs

Article Source: IANS