Gary Ballance hit a defiant 51 not out as England crawled to 4-125 at tea on the second day of the second Test at Lord’s leaving the home side 170 runs behind India’s first-innings score.
With England resuming after lunch on 2-51, India struck early through Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking his third wicket of the day. Ian Bell, 16, fended an in-swinging delivery off his glove to Ravindra Jadeja at third slip for a simple catch.
Jadeja trapped an unlucky Joe Root lbw on 13 at 4-113, as replays showed Root got an inside edge.
Ballance brought up his half century, England’s sole highlight of Friday’s second session, with a single punched through to point.
But Ballance was fortunate not to become Stuart Binny’s first Test wicket on 32 when he edged behind, only for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan at first slip to leave the catch for each other. It went all the way through for four.
Ballance was still at the crease at tea with Moeen Ali, who was 6 not out.
Earlier, Alastair Cook’s wretched batting run persisted when he fell for 10, edging behind a Kumar delivery which he should have left alone.
The England captain swiped his bat up in the air in dismay and the Lord’s crowd fell silent as he wandered back to the pavilion.
Cook scored five in the drawn first Test, is averaging less than 14 this year, and has not made a century in 14 months.
His dismissal meant India barely had time to rue the dropped catch of fellow opener Sam Robson by Ajinkya Rahane two deliveries earlier, off the bowling of Shami.
The ball was nicked through to Rahane at second slip at a comfortable height, but it spilled out of his hands.
Robson made only nine more before giving his wicket away sloppily. He tried to cover drive Kumar but instead flashed the ball to Dhoni, going for 17, for Kumar’s second wicket.
India’s first innings was wrapped up in the second over of the day when Shami edged Ben Stokes and Cook took his 100th test catch.
Shami and India added five to their overnight total, Shami finishing with 19. Ishant Sharma was 12 not out.
