ENG vs IND 2018: England Bowled Really Well: Ajinkya Rahane

India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said ‘England bowled really well’ after India were bowled out for just 107 in the second England vs India Test at Lord’s.

The Indian batsmen came up with yet another poor batting display in overseas batting conditions. None of the batsmen looked at ease in overcast conditions as the team failed to bounce back after the poor batting show in the first Test.

James Anderson was the star of the show, picking up 5 for 20 to lead England’s charge on a rain-affected second day.  Asked to bat first in tough conditions, India fell to 15 for 3 before the first of two lengthy rain delays.

Chris Woakes took 2-19, including captain Virat Kohli, in an extended evening session as India folded in only 35.2 overs. Both Woakes and Anderson brilliantly exposed India’s poor technique against the moving ball.

At one time, it looked like India would struggle to cross even the 100-run mark but they eventually did. However, they could not add much runs to the board after crossing the 100-run mark and were all out for just 107. Only two batsmen – Kohli and R Ashwin could cross the 20-run mark with the latter’s 29 being the top-score.

Speaking after the horror batting display, Rahane defended India by saying that the hosts bowled well.

“First of all, England bowled really well. They used the conditions really well. The wicket (was tough) because of the weather, which we cannot control. First half, when the game was on and off, it was difficult for the batting team to switch on and off,” he told reporters.

“But when you play at the highest level, no excuses. I would like to give credit to the English bowling team – James Anderson, Stuart Broad, they bowled really well as a unit,” he added.

India’s decision to drop pacer Umesh Yadav in order to make room for spinner Kuldeep Yadav has raised quite a few eyebrows. In conditions that are perfect for swing bowling, dropping a pacer has attracted criticism from several quarters. When asked about that, Rahane said:

“The answer to your question will be I feel when Kuldeep gets four-five wickets tomorrow, it’ll be completely different. It’s about what captain and coach think. In the end, it’s the captain’s decision. I felt Virat is backing Kuldeep and we’ll have to wait and see.

“Because of the conditions, definitely yeah, it helped fast bowlers. But Kuldeep is a quality bowler. Umesh bowled really well, but it’s about combination and it’s about what captain and coach think.”