India beats England by 95 runs in second test at Lord’s, creates history

mangaloretoday.com/ NDTV

London, July 21, 2014: Team India played comprehensive cricket and re-wrote history when the side - led by Ishant Sharma’s 7/74 - beat England by 95 runs to win the Lord’s Test and take 1-0 lead in the series.

 

 

 

India defeated England by 95 runs after Ishant Sharma took seven wickets for 74 runs in a dramatic post-lunch session at Lord’s on Monday. India, thus, took a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series. The first Test at Nottingham ended in a draw. The third Test starts in Southampton on July 27

The last time India won a Test at Lord’s, 10 players in the current touring party were not even born. A 28-year-long wait came to an emphatic end on Monday when the third generation of Indians since 1986 battled past England at their most formidable fortress. This was India’s first overseas Test win since 2011

Lord’s is often considered the most daunting challenge for players and teams alike. Team India - a touring party of cricketers mostly in their mid-20s - never appeared the most suited to wage war and succeed here. Appearances though can be deceptive.

Ravindra Jadeja (68 in the second innings and three wickets from the Test) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52 runs in the second innings and six wickets in the first) led the onslaught and forced England to cave in. Such was the force that England - needing 214 on the final day and with six wickets to spare - failed to mount any form of resistance. It took them just a little less than two sessions to bend over and allow India to a systematic and, more importantly, historic triumph.

At a venue where Chetan Sharma - now 48 - had claimed six wickets and Dilip Vengsarkar  - now 58 - hit a sparkling 126* to help Indians win three decades ago, the new generation of Indian superstars showed the perfect blend of confidence and skill to script a memorable win. They played with heart and celebrated with passion as the locals stood up to take note of history being unfolded.

And there may yet be more to the fairytale.

When India last won at Lord’s, the  team won the series. The current side would hope to stage an encore and cruise to similar wins in the remaining three Tests - a fitting reply to critics who had blasted them for the whitewash here three years ago. A 1-0 lead can indeed be a perfect launchpad to propel further into cricketing folklore.