England v India: Hardik Pandya stars as tourists take control

Media caption,

India in complete control as England collapse on day two

Third Specsavers Test, Trent Bridge (day two of five)

India 329 & 124-2: Dhawan 44

England 161: Buttler 39, Pandya 5-28

India lead by 292 runs

An awful England batting collapse gave India complete control of the third Test on day two at Trent Bridge.

The home side were bundled out for 161, surrendering all 10 wickets in the period between lunch and tea.

At one stage they lost nine for 74 runs in the space of 20.5 overs, with India all-rounder Hardik Pandya claiming 5-28.

The tourists themselves had lost their last four first-innings wickets for six runs to be dismissed for 329.

When they batted for a second time, India moved to 124-2 to end a chaotic day with a lead of 292 and the perfect opportunity to cut their deficit in the five-match series to 2-1.

Media caption,

England lose opener Cook

England exposed again

Though England won the first two matches of the series, in the second innings of the first Test at Edgbaston they found themselves 87-7 and at Lord's they were 131-5.

Indeed, in 61 innings since the beginning of 2016, they have lost their fourth wicket having scored 100 runs or fewer on 30 occasions.

On this ground in 2017, as England were being trounced by South Africa, former captain Michael Vaughan suggested they did not "respect" the way to bat in Test cricket.

This latest capitulation was not as a result of recklessness, but technical deficiencies against a ball that consistently moved in the air and off the seam.

In England's innings win at Lord's, India were found wanting as the hosts enjoyed perfect bowling conditions. Here, the tourists gave the home side a taste of their own medicine.

After tumbling from 54-0 to 128-9, England were dragged past 150 by the hitting of Jos Buttler, who cracked 39 from 32 balls.

Still, England were bowled out in the space of a session for the third time in less than two years.

England Test batting averages in 2018 (min four Tests)

Matches

Innings

Runs

Average

Woakes

4

5

219

54.75

Root

8

13

529

44.08

Buttler

5

7

225

37.50

Bairstow

8

13

460

35.38

Jennings

4

5

110

22.00

Stokes

5

9

187

20.77

Cook

8

13

252

19.38

Pandya leads rampant India

India actually began poorly, bowling too short before lunch, only to improve after the break with a fuller length, bustling pace and assured slip catching.

Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings were caught behind off consecutive deliveries - Cook drawn into playing by a lovely delivery from Ishant Sharma, Jennings needlessly poking at Jasprit Bumrah.

After Ollie Pope tickled Ishant down the leg side, Pandya took over, swinging the ball to claim his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

The crowd booed when the third umpire adjudged that Joe Root's edge carried to second slip, but there was no doubt when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed in the same fashion.

Media caption,

Root dismissed after a contentious catch by KL Rahul

Chris Woakes gloved a hook, Adil Rashid gave debutant wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant his fifth catch and Stuart Broad was indisputably lbw.

At the other end, Ben Stokes prodded Mohammed Shami to KL Rahul, who claimed three catches at second slip, as England's batting was left in tatters.

Buttler briefly brought carnage of a different kind, entertaining the crowd in a last-wicket stand of 33 with James Anderson before holing out off Bumrah.

So complete was the destruction brought by the India pace bowlers, the tourists were unaffected by a hip injury that restricted off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to only one over.

India's two innings in one day

Media caption,

Broad inswinger bowls Ashwin

Pandya's dismissal off the final ball of the first day left India resuming on Sunday on 307-6.

Drizzle kept the players off the field for half an hour, after which Anderson and Broad swung a nearly new ball under grey skies.

Pant played on off Broad, who also bowled Ashwin before Anderson accounted for Shami and Bumrah in successive deliveries. England took their four wickets in 7.5 overs.

England were bowling again straight after tea but, this time, were flat, loose and punished as the ball ceased moving in the evening sunshine.

At one stage, Anderson was conceding five runs an over, Broad six and Stokes seven, even if the Durham all-rounder did manage to bowl Rahul for 36.

Cook's drop of a straightforward Dhawan edge did not prove too costly - the left-hander stumped off leg-spinner Rashid for 44, leaving India skipper Virat Kohli to accompany Cheteshwar Pujara to the close.

'England have to be honest with themselves, but keep the faith' - what they said

Former England spinner Graeme Swann on BBC Test Match Special: "I hope England say 'we were awful today and went too hard at the ball'.

"I hope they don't say the Joe Root catch changed the game.

"The batsmen have let down the bowlers. To be bowling again by teatime on day two - no wonder they look grumpy.

"To be putting your bowling shoes on 38 overs later when they are still warm and sweaty is a horrible feeling.

"However, they have got to keep the faith and believe they can still win this game. If the sun comes out tomorrow this will be a good pitch to bat on."

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

England lost all 10 wickets in a session for the third time in two years, having not done so in 78 years previously

England batsman Jos Buttler: "It is very disappointing after a really good start with the ball and being 50-0. In testing conditions, unfortunately we weren't good enough to ride it out.

"We have to talk and improve. We need to make sure these things don't happen often. There have been honest conversations and hopefully some learnings.

"It is down to us come back tomorrow and dust ourselves down."