London: Mohammed Shami (52 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (30 not out) frustrated England with a stunning fightback in the first session of the fifth and final day of the second Test at Lord’s on Monday.
The duo added unbeaten 77 runs in 111 balls to take India to 286/8 and extend the lead by 259 runs at lunch.
The partnership between Bumrah and Shami is also the highest ninth-wicket partnership for India in England surpassing 66 by Kapil Dev and Madan Lal at the same venue in 1982.
Resuming at 181/6, India lost Rishabh Pant within 16 minutes of the start of the fifth day’s play. Pant added seven to overnight score of 14 before nicking behind to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler off Ollie Robinson. Four overs later, Robinson foxed Ishant Sharma with a slower delivery, leaving India at 204/8.
After the 91st over, some words were exchanged between Bumrah and Mark Wood. There was some chat with Buttler too. Things got fiery when Bumrah smashed the first ball of the next over through point, which got the Indian team clapping on their feet.
From then, it was the start of a partnership between Shami and Bumrah which rattled England. Bumrah got hit on the helmet by Wood in the 93rd over but was unruffled by it. The duo went for the singles and were unafraid of hitting boundaries.
Shami reached his half-century with a mammoth 92-metre slog off Moeen Ali. It was Shami’s second Test half-century in 53 matches. The 30-year-old also reached his highest score in Test cricket, surpassing the 51 against England at Trent Bridge in 2014. Bumrah, dropped by Root at first slip on 22, also reached his highest Test score. In the first innings, both Shami and Bumrah were out for zero. But in second innings, they have turned the tables on England.
The session clearly belonged to India, who amassed 105 runs in 26 overs at a run rate of 4.04. The Shami-Bumrah partnership cashed upon open field settings and ensured that England lost their way.
Brief scores: India 364 and 286/8 in 108 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 61, Mohammed Shami 52 batting, Cheteshwar Pujara 45, Jasprit Bumrah 30 batting, Mark Wood 3/51, Ollie Robinson 2/41, Moeen Ali 2/84) vs England 391.
(IANS)
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