India take command
India are progressing well at Trent Bridge
Saturday, 28, Jul 2007 11:43
India have moved into a commanding position in the second Test match against England at Trent Bridge after reaching 254-3 at stumps.
The touring team already enjoy a first innings lead of 56 runs over England after bad light stopped play with seven wickets remaining, a position which may enable them to set up a healthy advantage tomorrow.
Openers Wasim Jaffer (62) and Dinesh Karthik (77) set the tone for a substantial first-innings lead with a first-wicket stand of 147, the highest opening partnership for an Indian touring team since the Oval test of 1979.
Both survived early scares, most noticeably from Monty Panesar, whose two lbw appeals early in his first spell were rejected by South African umpire Ian Howell despite TV evidence to the contrary.
England's seam bowlers also performed capably, without ever displaying the panache which saw them bring England so close to a victory in the first Test.
It took a jaffer of a delivery from the opening delivery of Chris Tremlett's second spell to remove Jaffer, with a rising delivery which hit the seam and left the batsman.
Karthik was out shortly after tea, with Panesar profiting from the batsman bat-padding a leg-side delivery to short leg.
Indian stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar (57 not out) and Rahul Dravid (37) progressed serenely before a flighted delivery from Panesar forced an injudicious prod from Dravid which was superbly caught by Ian Bell at point.
Earlier in the day, Anil Kumble was the main architect of England's early demise, claiming the wickets of Chris Tremlett (20) and James Anderson (1).
Zaheer Khan claimed the wicket of Monty Panesar with a swinging delivery to confine England to a below-par score of 198.