India vs England 2018 2nd Test : Player Ratings
After a keenly contested series opener at Edgbaston, India and England locked horns at the Home of Cricket, The Lords. The contest did promise to be a cracker, however, it turned out to be a one-sided affair as the visitors lost by a margin of an innings and 159 runs.
The conditions prior to the match were largely in favour of India. The weather in London was hot, the surface was dry which enticed skipper Virat Kohli to opt for an additional spinner. However, as the heavens opened, the behaviour of the pitch changed drastically as the conditions turned to atypical English.
England won a crucial toss and put the hosts to bat. James Anderson was at his savage best, as the 36-year old pacer annihilated the Indian batting line up amidst nature's interference Except for Kohli and Ashwin, all other batsmen looked ill at ease as the visitors were bundled out for 107.
The English innings was hit with top order dismissals, but Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes steered the affairs in the hosts' favour with their immaculate batsmanship. Woakes hit his maiden Test century to get his name on the Lord's Honours Board. England took a mammoth 289-run lead, batting India out of the game.
The second innings of India was no different from the first, as the batsmen failed miserably, with Ashwin top scoring once again. James Anderson and Stuart Broad picked up 4 wickets apiece, as the hosts overpowered the visitors inside 3 days of lay, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.
The teams meet next at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in a space of 5 days for the next encounter.
Let's take a look at the rating of players of both the teams:
India:
Murali Vijay - 1/10
Murali Vijay had a disastrous Test match, as he was dismissed for a king pair. Vijay found himself ill at ease and fell to against James Anderson in both the innings.
KL Rahul - 2/10
KL Rahul was given the nod ahead of Shikhar Dhawan in the match and promoted to the opening slot. However, he could not make an impact in either of the innings, as India started on a catastrophic note.
Cheteshwar Pujara - 4.5/10
Returning to the squad after missing the game at Edgbaston, Pujara was unfortunate to be involved in a mix-up and lost his wicket for a solitary run in the first innings. He showed some character in the second innings.
Virat Kohli - 4/10
The skipper made some surprising changes in the squad which did not pay off. He did show some resistance in both the innings, despite his back strain.
Ajinkya Rahane - 4/10
The overseas batting key for India faltered yet again with dismal scores in both innings.
Dinesh Karthik - 1/10
Karthik failed to make an impact as a wicketkeeper-batsman, managing just a solitary run in the match. He took a good diving catch of Jonny Bairstow.
Hardik Pandya - 5.5/10
Hardik had a decent outing with the ball, claiming 3 wickets. However, could not impress with the bat.
Ravichandran Ashwin - 6.5/10
Perhaps the best performer for India in the match, Ashwin was not successful with the ball, with conditions not favouring him. He put up great resilience with the bat, finishing as the highest scorer and unbeaten in both innings.
Kuldeep Yadav - 2/10
Kuldeep was expected to marshall the bowling attack as he was picked up ahead of an in-form Umesh Yadav. He didn't bowl in the right areas and ended up wicketless.
Mohammad Shami - 6/10
Shami was the best Indian bowler in the match, as he bowled beautifully upfront. Despite going for runs, he claimed 3 scalps.
Ishant Sharma - 2/10
Sharma failed to replicate his Lord's heroics as he could manage only a single wicket.