LONDON, July 17 (PTI): India suffered a batting collapse to take tea at 140 for six as the visitors struggled to negotiate a seaming Lord�s wicket on the opening day of the second Test against England, here today.
Starting the post-lunch session on 73 for two, the visitors lost 4 wickets for just 67 runs scored as Alastair Cook�s decision to bowl first on a green pitch paid rich dividends.
Ajinkya Rahane (26 not out, 63 balls, 3 fours) and Stuart Binny (6 not out, 11 balls, 1 four) were battling it out at the break, as English bowlers made adjustments to their line and lengths from the morning session, earning rich dividends in the last two hours of play.
The slide started for India immediately after lunch when James Anderson (2-19) got Virat Kohli (25 runs, 34 balls, 4 fours) to nick a sharp out-swinger from good length.
The batsman had been lucky not to have been dismissed before lunch when keeper Matt Prior had dropped him off Moeen Ali�s last ball of that session. But he couldn�t capitalise on it, adding just 5 more runs after the break, with Prior pouching it this time without mistake this time.
Cheteshwar Pujara was then joined in by Rahane and the two pushed India past the 100-run mark in the 37th over of the innings.
But Pujara (28) didn�t last long after that, bowled by a beauty from Ben Stokes (1-24) that beat his bat and pad to straighten out and hit the middle stump.
It was a great spell from the bowler to remove India�s best batsman on display till then. Pujara stayed for 117 balls, hitting 4 fours.
SCORECARD
India 1st innings: Murali Vijay c Ballance b Plunkett 24, Shikhar Dhawan c Ballance b Anderson 7, Cheteshwar Pujara b Stokes 28, Virat Kohli c Prior b Anderson 25, Ajinkya Rahane batting 26, MS Dhoni c Prior b Broad 1, Ravindra Jadeja b Ali 3, Stuart Binny batting 6. Extras: (B-8, LB-11, NB-1) 20. Total: (For 6 wkts; 55 overs) 140. Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-48, 3-86, 4-113, 5-123, 6-128. Bowling: James Anderson 14-7-19-2, Stuart Broad 14-5-35-1, Liam Plunkett 10-4-26-1, Ben Stokes 10-2-24-1, Moeen Ali 7-2-17-1. (At tea)
