"India win or draw for me" - Shane Warne slams England for 'horrible tactics'
Shane Warne has lashed out at England captain Joe Root and his defensive tactics that have brought India back into the Lord's Test match.
Some questionable field placements for lower-order batsmen have allowed India to extend their lead beyond 200 runs despite the early departure of Rishabh Pant on Day 5 of the Lord's Test. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have added more than 75 runs for the ninth wicket.
Reacting to England's tactics on Day 5 of the Lord's Test match, former Australian spinner Shane Warne wrote on Twitter:
"Horrible tactics from Eng. Why don’t the bowlers say no I don’t want 5/6 fielders on the fence - as how am I getting the batsman out skip. Will Eng go for these runs ? Remember when NZ set 270 of 75 overs & Eng never considered the chase. India win or draw for me."
Warne pointed out how the English team has played defensively of late. In the home series against New Zealand earlier this year, England played for a draw at Lord's, although they had to chase a 273-run target with 70 overs in hand.
In Warne's opinion, the ongoing Lord's Test between India and England will either end in the visitors' favor or will end in a draw.
Mohammed Shami has completed his second Test fifty against England
While most Asian batsmen have not fared as well in English conditions as they perform in the subcontinent, Mohammed Shami has a better batting record on English soil. Seven years ago, he recorded his maiden Test fifty in Nottingham.
Today, Shami registered his second Test fifty at Lord's. He has already bettered his previous highest Test score of 51. It will be interesting to see if Shami can take India's lead closer to 300 with Jasprit Bumrah.
At the lunch break, India are leading by 259 runs. You can follow the live scorecard of the match right here.