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This couldn't have been scripted better and with that, we come to the end of our coverage of this epic. We had the thrill of bringing it to you and we hope that you felt the same way following it on Sportskeeda. Thank you so much for tuning in across these five days and do ensure to keep yourselves up to date with all the other cricketing action on this very platform. And of course, do be back on Thursday (the 25th of August) for the start of the third test of this series at Headingley and hope that the weather remains as fine as it was through the course of this contest. On behalf of my fellow textpert Pratyush Rohra, this is Sooryanarayanan Sesha gently reminding you to mask up, sanitize those hands, maintain social distancing and stay indoors as far as possible. And of course, do get yourselves vaccinated in case you haven't. Good night and stay safe!
It might be just sinking in for a lot of viewers and the players themselves but we've witnessed a five-day spectacle at the pinnacle of all cricket grounds. Test cricket doesn't cease to enthrall us - we got a taste of it less than 24 hours ago in the Caribbean and this game at Lord's has only added onto this narrative. India take the series lead at the end of this epic and they are truly living to their billing of favorites for this series. As for England, it is safe to say that their 391 in the first innings was an aberration. It would give any fan the shudders to think about this side in the absence of their skipper Joe Root. And as if their issues with the bat weren't enough, Mark Wood has hurt himself while James Anderson himself was a doubtful starter for this game. This, of course, apart from the absence of Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer. This could turn into a long series for them unless they manage to pick themselves up on time.
KL Rahul is the Player of the Match for his first-innings knock of 129.
Rahul: I've been looking at it every morning to see if they have put it up permanently (on the Honours Board). Really proud moment and really happy with the win. Put in to bat we needed a good start and to put on 360 odd on the board in the first innings was good. We've been here for a couple of months now and we've been working really hard on our skills and our game. Even in the first game our batsmen showed a lot of discipline. Really happy to put up a performance like that and hope it continues. You are always going to see great skills, great heart and some words as well (on the field). If someone goes after one of our guys then all of us are going to come hard together. The bowlers were really pumped up as well and it was great they delivered the win for us.
Virat Kohli (Indian Captain): Super proud of the whole team. The way we stuck to our plans in this test match after being put in - our performance with the bat was outstanding. The pitch didn't offer much through the game but the first day was the most challenging. I think our bowlers were amazing. Today the way Jasprit and Shami batted was amazing. The tension out there charged us up. We had 60 overs to get them out and we felt confident that we could. (On coming down from the balcony to applaud Shami and Bumrah) Just to applaud what Jasprit and Shami did - it takes a lot of character to do what they did with the bat. We wanted to let that known to them. (On the lower order contributions) When we were our most successful for a year and a half in test cricket our lower order contributed a lot. Our lower order has the belief and the desire to do well for the team. We know how priceless they are and it was there to be seen today. I have been a part of the winning test match last time as a player under MS where Ishant bowled brilliantly. We knew then that we were in control though. In this game, to win in under 60 overs was amazing. The way Siraj bowled especially was really special. As I said, the other events really charged us up. (On the timing of the declaration) It was more about the number of overs we were comfortable with. I thought anything under 55 wasn't right - didn't want to walk out of the game thinking what if we had four or five extra overs. We were very happy with the support we got - especially while playing away from home, these things really matter and it rubbed off on us. (On winning after Independence Day) Though it was a day later it is the best gift we could have given. It is a really happy day for us but we have three more games to go. We are not going to take it easy - if at all, we will show more intensity. (On his reviews) I get many wrong (laughs) but I like to go with my instinct. If you don't take a chance you will never know.
Joe Root (England Captain): You always try to deal with situations like that. Unfortunately, we couldn't quite manage to see out today which is frustrating but there's still a lot of cricket to be played in the series. We went from a very strong position where we looked like we would win the game to losing. A lot of it comes down to me, I could have done more tactically. More than anything just got a few things wrong and I'm gutted with it. That partnership was brilliant, they did pretty well but there are lots of things I'd do differently if given an opportunity. His attitude (Wood), the way he goes about things was brilliant and he went on despite suffering an injury in the game. Mo's come back well too and watching him play well is enjoyable. There are things we can take from this game. We're used to playing five-match series. Important not to panic and stay calm. Learn from our mistakes and keep fighting on. It's great to have the crowd back in sporting arenas in general, sad to not give them the result they wanted.
India beat England by 151 runs to go 1-0 up in the 5-match series!
BREATHE! Breathe, folks! This is test cricket at its very best - the pinnacle continues to reach greater zeniths and continues to fascinate us by the day. They might have felt hard done by at Trent Bridge owing to the weather but India have roared back to seal the series lead in their favor!
How do we sum up this exhilarating contest? Well, a delayed start to the game on the first morning owing to a drizzle forced Joe Root to insert the Indians in to bat. While Virat Kohli mentioned that he would have done the same, he would have felt elated with the toss being a good one to lose, as both KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma racked up a solid 126-run stand on what looked like an excellent batting strip. While Rohit missed out on getting his name on the Honours Board, Rahul didn't let the opportunity slip with a sublime century that stamped his authority on the contest, as well as his opening spot. While Cheteshwar Pujara failed and Virat Kohli looked okay for his 41, it was a day that well and truly belonged to India with the score reading 276/3 at Stumps.
Such a situation surely had India sighting 400 on the second day. However, all those hopes were extinguished with Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane dismissed within no time to peg the visitors onto the back foot. And while Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja made useful contributions, the ever-wily James Anderson picked up his umpteenth fifer in test cricket to derail the Indian innings as only 364 could be managed. Thereafter, another failure for Dom Sibley and a first-ball duck on comeback for Haseeb Hameed spelled another outing of doom for the hosts with the bat. That was until Rory Burns and Joe Root stitched together a solid partnership before the former was trapped in front at the stroke of his fifty, leaving the game firmly in the balance.
England then came out firmly wresting control of the game in their favor, as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were busy in accumulating the runs while remaining stoic in defense. India finally managed to snuff out the latter post Lunch although useful stands with Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali meant that Root was the architect of England's rise into pole position - characterized by his masterful century of course. Despite a spurt of quick wickets post Tea, Root carried through for an unbeaten 180 to give England a lead of 27. That was the day the drama began though, with James Anderson not taking too fondly to Jasprit Bumrah's chin music, as he made his views on the same well known to the latter.
The fourth morning though, saw England roar well and truly into the driver's seat, having sent both openers packing by the time the deficit was rubbed off. Mark Wood was breathing fire and with the middle-order struggling for runs, the wicket of Virat Kohli seemed to signal the death knell for India. That was before Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane dropped anchor in a display of attrition as they frustrated the England attack for elongated periods of time. The tactics were questioned given the lack of time with regards to setting up a target but India still managed to cross a lead of 150 with Rishabh Pant remaining the one recognized batter left to bat on the final day.
Once Pant was back in the hut early this morning though, England were all but set to fold the Indian innings under a lead of 200. That was when the hosts just went kaput - with their tactics, objectives and their plans. It seemed as though they were intent on giving Jasprit Bumrah a taste of his own medicine by sending down a bouncer barrage of their own. So much so, that an injured Mark Wood was called upon to dish out some rockets. But Bumrah and Mohammed Shami had other ideas - they pierced the gaps with ease to pile on both the lead, as well as the misery on the English attack. So much so, that an Indian declaration suddenly seemed a realistic proposition with Shami crossing a half-century.
And declare they did nine deliveries after Lunch to set up a 272-run target but that had all but shut the doors on an England victory. Bumrah and Shami snuffed out the English openers for ducks within no time and it was down to Root to salvage a draw once again. He did get off to a solid start again although wickets fell at regular intervals. Once he perished right after Tea though, the end seemed nigh. The drama was not over though - a dropped catch of Jos Buttler, a nick behind off a no ball and some chirpy banter later, it was Mohammed Siraj who roared the visitors back into the game with consecutive wickets of Moeen Ali and Sam Curran. And while Buttler continued to defy the odds, it was about that one moment for the game to break open again. Despite the game suddenly heading towards a draw, the remaining wickets fell like ninepins for India to seal a most famous victory - only their third test victory at Lord's! Mohammed Siraj ended the contest with 8 wickets and while he may not have his name on the Honours Board, India have truly unearthed a star who could serve this team for a long, long time in test cricket!
HISTORY AT LORD'S! India script a famous victory to go 1-0 up in the series! Absolute scenes at Lord's - Kohli, Siraj and even Bumrah are bellowing their throats off! India have pulled off a Houdini on the final day as they defeat England by 151 runs - make no mistake, this was a lot closer though!
52.0
51.5 Mohammed Siraj to James Anderson, BOWLED HIM!! THAT'S THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN! INDIA TAKES A ONE-NIL LEAD IN THIS SERIES WITH A MEMORABLE WIN AT LORD'S! It's an absolute peach from Siraj to mop up Anderson. Good length delivery angled into the off-stump, Anderson's rooted to the crease once more and this one just nips away to beat the outside edge and crash into the top of off-stump. It's another statement win from this Indian side. From being down and out in the first session to skittle England out in 50 overs, this victory will live long in the memory of every cricket fan. India win by 151 runs and take a 1-0 lead in this five-match series. An absolute crackerjack of a game that has everyone feeling the highs of Test cricket. We've got to catch our breaths and rest our fingers for a bit. Don't go anywhere though. More from the presentation, coming your way in a bit!
51.4 Mohammed Siraj to James Anderson, hitting the deck hard for a short delivery on off-stump, didn't get as much bounce as Anderson stayed on top of it to defend with soft hands
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Lord's, London
