NEW DELHI: India appeared heading in the right direction to bowl England out cheaply after eradicating Joe Root and Ben Stokes early on Day 3 of the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston on Friday. But Jamie Smith and Harry Brook had different plans, hammering centuries to stage a outstanding counterattack and tilt the momentum again in England’s favour.Mohammed Siraj kickstarted the drama by hanging twice in the second over of the day. First, he received Joe Root to tickle one off his pads to Rishabh Pant. On the very subsequent supply, he bowled a pointy, rising supply that caught Ben Stokes off guard. The England captain fended at it, solely to glove it behind to Pant for a golden duck — his first in Test cricket — leaving England reeling.
At 84/5, India seemed firmly in management. But that modified shortly.Brook displayed magnificence and authority, unfurling crisp drives and flicks off Siraj, whereas Smith countered with aggressive strokeplay — slamming the ball down the bottom and later pulling and driving Akash Deep for boundaries. Brook introduced up his second fifty of the collection with a commanding drive off Siraj, and shortly Smith started dismantling India’s short-ball technique.Brook continued the cost, swivelling on the again foot to smash Prasidh Krishna for 3 fours and a six on the leg-side, earlier than driving him as soon as extra for a boundary. That over alone leaked 23 runs.Smith, in the meantime, reached his fifty off simply 43 balls and stored going arduous. He punished Prasidh’s quick balls with a 4 and a six, then took three extra boundaries off Washington Sundar. Against Ravindra Jadeja, he as soon as once more went aerial, launching a 4 and a six to proceed the onslaught.Amid this brutal assault, Krishna’s struggles in Test cricket grew extra obtrusive. The pacer now holds the unlucky record for the worst financial system charge in Test historical past (minimal 500 deliveries).In the primary Test, which India misplaced by 5 wickets, Krishna conceded 128 runs in the primary innings whereas taking three wickets at an financial system of 6.40. In the second innings, he gave away 92 runs for 2 wickets, with an financial system of 6.13.His efficiency throughout Day 3 worsened the numbers additional: 5-0-50-0 at an financial system charge of 10.00 — the most costly spell (5 or extra overs) by an Indian bowler since December 2006.Overall, Krishna has now conceded runs at over 5 per over in his transient Test profession — a obtrusive concern for India’s tempo division.
