England vs India, 2nd Test: 5 Unnoticed things from the match 

After a dismal show with the bat in the first match at Edgbaston, Indians were expected to bounce back in the second Test at Lord’s. Bowlers had a decent outing but it was the batters who were under the firing lane for showing the lack of intent and the promise to play against the moving ball.

But, the story didn’t seem to change for the visitors as they stumbled their way to their fourth-lowest total at Lord’s in the first innings. It is also a fact that England had a bit of luck in their favour as they got the conditions in their favour both while batting and bowling.

After being down by a lead of 289 runs, India could just manage to score 130 runs in the second innings and suffered a defeat by an innings and 159 runs. With this, England took a very healthy lead of 2-0 in the 5-match Test series making it much difficult for the visitors to stage a comeback.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that went Unnoticed from the match:

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#1 Hardik Pandya sent ahead of Dinesh Karthik

India chose to stick to their five specialist batsmen policy along with a genuine all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. In the first Test, Dinesh Karthik was trusted by the team management and was sent at the fall of the fourth wicket ahead of Hardik Pandya. But the move didn’t pay many dividends as Kartik failed to get going in any of the first innings.

The management resorted to different plans to make the batting order more flexible as Hardik Pandya was seen batting in at the sixth, ahead of one of his best friends in the team. However, the team didn’t show enough promise but Pandya’s batting in the 2nd innings gave India the belief to play him in the Test matches to follow.

#2 Murali Vijay bags his first pair in Test cricket

This is starting to become a worrying sign for the Indian team with their best batsman from the last England tour in 2014, failing to find his touch with the bat. It has been a forgetful tour so far for Murali Vijay, who assures India with so much stability at the top but hasn’t gone onto converting any of his starts from the first two Test matches.

Also, the right-handed batsman didn’t open his account in the entire game at Lord’s as he bagged a pair after bowing down to James Anderson on both the occasions. He was out to a peach of a delivery in the first innings while Anderson exposed his inner edge to get caught behind on a duck. This is a problem of concern for India going ahead in the series with still a lot to think about the opening combination.

#3 James Anderson claims his 100th wicket at Lord’s

One of the best bowlers of the modern era, James Anderson’s ability with the ball is difficult to fathom especially in English conditions. His accuracy and the control to pitch the ball consistently on the same spot makes him one of the most powerful weapons on such surfaces. He registered a fifer in the first innings to push the hosts on the backfoot as they crumbled to a paltry 107.

Anderson, once again, was bang on with the ball to strike twice in the second innings to send both the openers back in the hut. He dismissed Murali Vijay for a duck to get to his 100th Test wicket at Lord’s and also his 550th wicket in his Test career. This was a rare feat as he becomes only the second pacer after McGrath to get past the 550-wicket mark.

#4 Chris Woakes achieves a double of 10-fer and a century at Lord’s

It was a rare feat as Chris Woakes became the only fifth player to achieve a double of 10-fer and a century at Lord’s. With this, he gets his name onto both the Lord’s honours board. It was a remarkable inning from England’s second best all-rounder after Ben Stokes was not available for the Lord’s Test. The right-handed all-rounder was a man on a comeback trail and was returning from an injury.

He scored his maiden century in whites for the three Lions with an unbeaten knock of 137 runs to guide his side to a comfortable position after being pushed on the back foot early on in the first innings. It was an innings that leaves England in all sorts of trouble with a problem of plenty for the next Test match.

#5 India felt the need of third frontline seamer

There’s no denying the fact that the Indian team read the 22 yards at Lord’s poorly by roping in an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav after dropping Umesh Yadav. It was a pitch that had all for the fast bowlers with conditions being seamer friendly for the most part of the Test match. England attacked with four proper seamers to exploit the conditions to the fullest.

There was a definite need of a proper third frontline seamer for India to lend support to Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma. Though India had the service of Hardik Pandya it was a pitch that could have played the perfect foil for Umesh Yadav. India’s only change in their bowling with Kuldeep roped in didn’t pay high dividends as the leg-spinner looked out of form.