England vs India day 4 test 2

After an thrilling day of test cricket where every emotion was poured out in that day on and off the field. For England it was an super day as they went from maybe losing the match to nearly batting India out of the match. The plan for England is probably either bat till lunch and then put India in or to be bowled out before lunch. England buoyed by scoring 418 runs yesterday looking to finish the job off today with the bat.

England just went off where they left off with Prior hitting an ball which was pitched up for an boundary. Then Bresnan in the same over is able to make it to 50 off just 69 and England make 450. Prior flicked another couple of boundary of Kumar's second over of the day as he looks for an century moved onto 73 when he went for one too many shots as he edged an ball to Dhoni as Kumar had another wicket to his name. An tireless bowler he keeps running for the team. This brought out the hero of the first innings with bat and ball Broad. Broad quickly got use to the conditions and started to hit the ball to all corners. He was not going to hang around and started to build another fast partnership. On Yorkshire day Bresnan hit an beautiful boundary to take England's lead to over 400. The runs coming fast off the bat as England raced to 500 as Tim Bresnan is thinking about maybe his first maiden century. Being 84 NO. The 50 partnership was soon up after making 500 as these 2 were really making the bowlers toil. With Harbhajan injured and Yuvraj unable to keep the control Dhoni decided to turn to Raina. Hoping it would slow down the England rate it seemed to fasten the England as Broad hit 2 massive sixes and 2 boundaries off his over to take the lead from 447 to 467. Now the lead over 450 the match was truly out of India's reach as they got to drinks at 538-7 with an lead of 471.

Broad and Bresnan seemed to be closing in on personal milestones as Broad moved on to 44 and Bresnan 90 an couple of overs after tea but Broad was run out by the substitute Saha and next ball Bresnan got an ball which bounced up on him and could only edge it to Dravid. The innings was over 15 minutes later as Swann went for an big shot only finding the sub again as Saha did the rest and England were bowled out for 544 meaning India needing 478 and more likely India going for an draw with 5 sessions and an tricky 30 minute spell before lunch. With Mukund on a king pair Anderson first bowl was dropped by Bresnan. Again Anderson had Mukund driving first up and should have been an easy slip catch. England kept bowling great line and length as the batsman really struggled against an fired England attack. They thought they got Dravid when an ball beat him they thought it was edged umpire Rauf didnt give. England took a long time in deciding to review but when they did go for the review the umpire said he was timed out as England have 10 second to review an decision and replays shows he didnt touch it. It seemed as India might just get up for lunch with all wickets in hand but Broad produced an super delivery which got Dravid having to play at. It swung at the last moment and Dravid edged it to the wicketkeeper to take an simple catch. England delighted as Dravid had been the rock of the Indian team when others have failed. India 6-1 and got to lunch at 8-1 with Laxman the new man in and an out of form Mukund at the other end.

India needing partnerships to have any chance of saving this game. Straight after lunch Anderson bowled an super Yorker which would have bowled any batsman as Laxman was unable to play it out and he was bowled as England got the perfect start after lunch. England delighted as Laxman and Dravid were the 2 who have been the hardest to get out all summer. Brought out the great Tendulkar. Just like the first innings he looked good straight away hitting an couple of boundaries. He was trying to help Mukund through this tough period. He scored 3 off 40 balls when Bresnan got an delivery to jag back at him which he could not get out of the way for and Strauss did the rest at first slip as India looked finished already at 31-3. Out for 3 off 41 balls. Tendulkar looked comfortable making it look like at different pitch to the others but partners at the other end made it look an minefield. England knowing Raina venerable to the short ball started pepearing short balls. Sure enough he went for an hock to one where and substitute fielder, and local boy, Elstone caught a easy catch. The trap worked and India were 37-4 and brought Yuvraj. They both some what eased to drinks without too many more problems with the score of 43-4 but knowing that the position looks and feels hopeless. The one good thing for India there star batsman Tendulkar finally looks in good touch.

After drinks kept the pressure on India and there ability or lack of ability to play the short ball was evident as Yuvraj became the latest player to be hit. Though this time he seemed more hurt than others as his finger was in pain. He had to have the "magic spray" put on him. England sensing there opportunity to strike peppered him with more short ball and one of the short balls seemed to have done the trick where Prior caught. Yuvraj looked to be walking off then turned back. The umpire unsure decided to review it himself but replays showed it was elbow not glove and given not out. Yuvraj struggling against the aggressive bowling by England just got India past 50. Tendulkar looking untroubled at the other end as England were all over the rest of India. The battered Yuvraj finally was bounced out through a Bresnan ball which he only fended off to silly point. Cook had to run behind him but the he kept his eye of the ball and was caught India 55-5. It went from bad to worse for India as the next ball Dhoni left an ball swinging back at him and was given LBW and the sense now the match could be over without 4 days was now a reality. Bresnan on an hat-trick but he will have to wait till his next over to bowl it as it was the end of the over. Broad kept the pressure up by bowling an maiden. Harbhajan faced the hat-trick bowl he tried an Yorker but it turned out to be an full toss and went for 4 instead. India just about held out till tea adding another 10 more runs as they went in at 68-6.

England knowing they are 4 wickets away from finishing the job off India knowing they will loss the question is how long and will Tendulkar make an century. After tea England lost that buzz they had before tea and intensity. The pair started to play an few shots. Tendulkar looking all eased as he has been all innings and Harbhajan going for his shots. They gave the Indian fans which turned up something to cheer about. An partnership was building and it was frustrating than match saving for England's point of view. England again turned to Swann for some inspiration but once again the Indian batsman easily played him away as he had a poor match. He bowled 3 overs for 21 runs and that follows 12 overs for 76 in the first innings as he was wicket-less. Harbhajan was able to stay at the wicket long enough to be there when Tendulkar made an brilliant 50. He hit it off just 83 balls with a glorious cut to get to 50 for Tendulkar with 7 fours in that innings of class. India also got to there 100 in a classy way by Harbhajan hitting Swann for 6 runs. They also made the 50 partnership incredibly the first one of the innings but the dream of Sachin Tendulkar making 100 100s at Nottingham feel by the way side as he left an ball from Anderson which swung back in and he was trapped LBW for playing no shot. Shame for the fans but Tendulkar by far the best player of the second innings for India.

The rest was an formality waiting to happen. England stayed patient and waited Harbhajan to play that false stroke. He did hit an couple more boundaries. England one area where they have not been so good to there high standards is the catching and another one was dropped by the substitute young Elstone. He had done well since then catching all his catches but he dropped an hock from Kumar. He did make up for it though when Harbhajan went for the same hock Elstone was the man in action he just about held onto the catch and Harbhajan went for an entertaining 46 off 44 balls with 8 fours and 1 six in that innings. That was Bresnan first 5 wicket hall for him. He really has taken his chance well for England. Kumar carried on the Harbhajan role playing a few shots scoring 5 boundaries for his 25 runs off 25 balls but Anderson put a end to that innings full slower Yorker. Those late bursts did get India over 150 as they lost there 9th wicket 153-9 and appropriately Broad took the final wicket bowling Sreesanth 5 runs later as they were bowled out for under 50 overs.

England won by a massive 319 runs and that seemed impossible when England were 120-8 at at tea of the first day or even when they were bowled out for 221. That seemed even more unlikely when they were 267-4 but an the difference was Broad at the key moment delivered. He built an partnership to get them to 221 all out he removed Yuvraj when the game was slipping away from England, he took an super hat-trick to really hall England back. He scored the extra 44 runs to make sure India could not get back into this game and got that wicket of Dravid before lunch to start the tumbling of wickets after lunch. Again an team performance where many people could have been man of the match with Bell super innings at 3 Bresnan coming in with 90 and 5 wickets Anderson leading the attack so well so again it was an team performance to win this match.

This also takes England closer to world number 1 they need to win the series at the end by 2 or more clear victories. One more victory and they will be world number 1 for sure. For India again it was good in patches. The first day was good but let it slip away and the batting is an huge problem. Dravid again scoring an great century in the first but he was always likely to fall at one point and did in the second. Tendulkar did well in the second but no one there to help. India main problem has been with the bat not scoring over 300 once so far in this series and this is tiring the bowlers out who are giving everything but having to do massive work loads. Injuries have not helped and Harbhajan injured it didnt help but it was an poor performance. The fielding has been terrible and not playing like the world number 1. England will take a lot of heart they are a driven team but what is so great there are areas to improve. The fielding at times let them down the catching wasnt there. There batting in swinging conditions needs to improve and bowling with the old ball hasnt been as great. There are also individual problems with the openers needing runs and Kevin Pietersen needing to play straight when the conditions are tough. So for England its great that they are winning but know they can really improve as individuals and as a team.