IND vs ENG 2021: 5 hits and flops from Day 1 of the 2nd Test between India and England
The sun blazed down on the Home of Cricket as an entertaining day of Test cricket between India and England ended with the visitors in the ascendancy at 276/3.
Both captains went with the intention of bowling first, and it was Joe Root who suffered the misfortune of winning the toss. As England struggled to hit their straps, the Indian openers went from strength to strength by putting on an incredible opening partnership. The next four days of Test cricket promise to be riveting as well.
Here are five hits and flops from the first day of the second Test between India and England at Lord's.
#5 Hit - James Anderson (England)
How often has James Anderson been the pick of the England bowlers? At 39 years of age, the veteran quick isn't showing any signs of slowing down - in fact, he's only getting better. Overcoming a niggle to make the playing XI, he was the most threatening bowler on Day 1.
Anderson bowled decently with the new ball, albeit without much success. Later, after India had amassed a century opening stand, he returned to prise out Rohit Sharma with a delightful piece of deception. England's leading Test wicket-taker also coaxed Cheteshwar Pujara into fishing outside off, providing two of the three breakthroughs on Day 1.
Anderson didn't do as well with the second new ball, but he was the standout performer for the hosts.
#4 Flop - Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
Yes, James Anderson's skills must be admired and appreciated. But Cheteshwar Pujara had mostly himself to blame for his dismissal on Day 1 of the second Test against England.
Pujara had no reason to play at the delivery from Anderson, which was not only well outside off but also on a good length. The Indian No. 3's waft ended up in the slips as he walked back for just nine runs. The rest of the Indian batsmen made merry at Lord's and were in control for most of the first day's play.
Pujara needs to get his act together, with time running out for him to justify his place in the Indian Test side.
#3 Hit - Rohit Sharma (India)
Rohit Sharma has scored more Test runs than any other Indian batsman this calendar year. His knock on Thursday was a prime example of why he has become so successful as an opener, even in testing conditions away from home.
After seeing off initial spells from Anderson and Ollie Robinson, Rohit got his innings going with a few boundaries off Sam Curran. Then, he truly came into his own. A 93 mph ball from Mark Wood was pulled in front of square; a teasing off-break from Moeen Ali was pumped over mid-on for a six. Importantly, everything in the channel was left with confidence and caution.
Rohit is as important as any other batsman to this Indian team, especially after registering his highest Test score away from home.
#2 Flop - Sam Curran (England)
Sam Curran pulled things back later in the day, but he was quite awful in the first two sessions on Day 1 of the second Test between India and England. The left-armer couldn't hit the right lines and lengths, often giving the batsmen looseners to break the shackles.
Although he used angles decently and beat the bat a couple of times, Curran hardly asked any questions of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. He was conceding at over 4 rpo for most of his spell on Day 1, bowling only one maiden over the course of his 18 overs.
Curran's bowling plans were clearly off the mark, leading to the following scathing assessment from Michael Vaughan:
“I love Sam Curran. He brings so much energy and buzz to any format. But I thought he bowled today a little bit like a schoolboy. It was so obvious the way he bowled, it was too easy for the Indian batters. It was all right to swing one back into the pads and get you out. That doesn’t happen against quality. You've got to set the batters up. You've got to go across, across, and it might be the second or third over that you get one nipping back into the pads.”
#1 Hit - KL Rahul (India)
KL Rahul turned in a masterclass in innings construction on Day 1 of the second Test. In the early stages, when the English bowlers had some help on offer from the overhead conditions and the wicket at Lord's, he was happy to trundle along at a strike rate of 20 and let his opening partner do the damage.
Once Rohit and then Pujara were dismissed, Rahul decided to seize the initiative. Unfurling a plethora of gorgeous cover drives and backfoot punches, the 29-year-old raced away to his sixth Test century and his first since August 2018 to get his name on the famous Lord's honors board.
Rahul entered Stumps unbeaten on 127 and will look to build on his overnight score.