Twitter Reacts As James Anderson Blows Away India's Middle Order To Stage England's Fightback

Updated - 06 Aug 2021, 12:36 AM

Virat Kohli, James Anderson
Virat Kohli, James Anderson. (Credits: Twitter)

A familiar Indian middle-order collapse thanks to James Anderson and some pretty poor batting by the trio of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane has left the first Test firmly in balance as India finished what was a rain-marred day 02 at 4/125.

Resuming the innings at 0/21, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul picked up from where they had left last evening as they went about blunting the English attack.

Both Rahul and Rohit were extremely patient but at the same time, the duo, especially the former, did not let any opportunity slip whenever the England seamers erred in their line and length.

India, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma
KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma [Image-Twitter]
Rahul and Rohit racked up India’s highest opening stand (97) in 14 years- Dinesh Karthik and Wasim Jaffer had racked up 147 at Trent Bridge in 2007- but just as it looked that the duo would stitch a 100-plus stand, Rohit Sharma once again squandered a golden opportunity as he holed out at deep fine-leg while pulling Ollie Robinson.

The dismissal of Rohit at the stroke of Lunch gave England an opening and James Anderson cashed in after the break as he knocked over Pujara and Kohli within a space of two deliveries.

Pujara was once again caught on the crease on a delivery that straightened off the seam to take a faint outside edge off his bat.

India, England
England. (Credits: Twitter)

Anderson backed it up with an away angler and Virat Kohli, in an attempt to put the bat on the ball, ended up nicking it to Jos Buttler.

This was the first instance since Manchester 2014 where James Anderson managed to dismiss Virat Kohli in Test cricket and it was Kohli’s second consecutive duck against England in England.

It could very easily have been 5/115, had Dom Sibley claimed the catch of KL Rahul, who completed a fine half-century, in the cordon.

Nevertheless, play was eventually called off after a series of interruptions with India finishing the day at 4/125.

Twitter Reacts As James Anderson Blows Away India’s Middle Order To Stage England’s Fightback:

 

https://twitter.com/deeputalks/status/1423267515182968835?s=19

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