3 talking points from Day 2 of the 2nd IND vs ENG Test ft. Jasprit Bumrah's genius
India took firm control of the second Test against England on Day 2 as they secured a 171-run lead by Stumps in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, February 3.
The hosts have all 10 second-innings wickets intact and are in an excellent position to give England an insurmountable target in the final essay. By bowling Ben Stokes and Co. out for 253, India have put themselves well ahead of the eight ball.
On that note, here are three talking points from Day 2 of the second Test between India and England.
#3 Zak Crawley's knock was a masterpiece while it lasted
England were rolled over for 253, a score well below par on a fairly docile Visakhapatnam wicket. Things would've been even worse for the visitors if not for Zak Crawley's 76, which was his team's highest score by a distance.
Crawley used his reach to great effect against the spinners and wasn't afraid to take on even the wrecker-in-chief, Jasprit Bumrah. The opener struck four boundaries in one of Bumrah's overs, forcing Rohit Sharma to take the spearhead out of the attack.
Crawley brought out the slog sweep regularly, and after the spinners compensated by pulling their lengths back, he adjusted brilliantly to pick off boundaries seemingly at will. The 26-year-old seemed set for an Ollie Pope-like match-defining effort but played one shot too many to be dismissed.
While it lasted, though, Crawley's knock was a masterpiece.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah was a man possessed in Vizag
Hit for four fours by Crawley, Bumrah needed to redeem himself when he was brought back into the attack. The ace fast bowler did that and much more.
Bumrah was virtually unplayable in his third and fourth spells, using reverse swing to great effect and being relentless with his areas. He harried Joe Root before sending him back, setting the tone for what was going to be an all-time great effort.
Bumrah bamboozled Pope and Stokes to castle their timber and had Jonny Bairstow and Tom Hartley caught in almost identical fashion to Root. He ended up with six wickets , making up for the Indian spinners not having the desired impact.
Speaking of which...
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav had contrasting days
Ravichandran Ashwin has nearly 500 wickets in Tests, while Kuldeep Yadav has never been able to nail down a spot in the red-ball side. On Day 2, though, the two spinners had days that didn't reflect their experience in the format.
Ashwin was strangely off the mark and seemed unable to hit an area consistently. He was easily thrown off his lengths by the likes of Crawley and dished out plenty of loose deliveries. The veteran off-spinner's 12 overs went for 61 runs as he finished a completed Test innings at home wicketless for only the fifth time.
Kuldeep, in contrast, was accurate and penetrative. He used his sliders to great effect and varied his pace well, asking questions of the England batters throughout the 17 overs he bowled. The left-arm wrist-spinner ended up with three wickets and could've had more on another day.
Ashwin will want to improve in the second innings, while Kuldeep will look for more of the same.