Tendulkar resists after early wobble
Sunday, 15 July 2007
An incisive new-ball spell from the England Lions left the Indians struggling on the second day of the tour match at Chelmsford. The top-order crumble came after the Lions had declared their innings closed at 413 for 8 with Tim Bresnan finishing on an unbeaten 126, reports Cricinfo.
India were in a deep hole at 14 for 3 with Graham Onions and Stuart Broad nailing the top three with seaming deliveries. It was mainly owing to Sachin Tendulkar, majestic during his unbeaten 37, that the Indians recovered somewhat, moving to 63 for 3 when lunch was called.
Onions struck a double-blow in his very first over, thudding a sharp incutter into Wasim Jaffer's pads, who's yet to figure out when to go forward and when to go back, and squaring up VVS Laxman with one that seamed away. With a third failure on the trot, Jaffer's position at the top of the order would come under severe scrutiny, especially with Gautam Gambhir staking his claim with a confident 81 in the previous match. Laxman was nearly out in his second delivery, flashing aimlessly at one outside off, but was undone by the next one: pushing tentatively to a back-of-a-length delivery.
Dinesh Karthik fell to a similar trap in the fifth over, though he didn't seem too impressed with the umpire's decision to adjudge him caught behind, leaving the Indians in a perilous position. Tendulkar, though, appeared to be batting on a far flatter pitch. He began with a crisp two to midwicket but really announced himself with a dart-straight caress past Onions for four.
Earlier, Bresnan and Chris Tremlett added 34 in seven overs before England Lions declared their innings, leaving the Indians 81 overs of play on the second day. Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan tried their best to rattle the batsmen with yorkers but both kept away the good deliveries amid swatting the poor ones. Tremlett cracked three fours and a six this morning, entertaining the crowd that had gathered for the start of the day.
India were in a deep hole at 14 for 3 with Graham Onions and Stuart Broad nailing the top three with seaming deliveries. It was mainly owing to Sachin Tendulkar, majestic during his unbeaten 37, that the Indians recovered somewhat, moving to 63 for 3 when lunch was called.
Onions struck a double-blow in his very first over, thudding a sharp incutter into Wasim Jaffer's pads, who's yet to figure out when to go forward and when to go back, and squaring up VVS Laxman with one that seamed away. With a third failure on the trot, Jaffer's position at the top of the order would come under severe scrutiny, especially with Gautam Gambhir staking his claim with a confident 81 in the previous match. Laxman was nearly out in his second delivery, flashing aimlessly at one outside off, but was undone by the next one: pushing tentatively to a back-of-a-length delivery.
Dinesh Karthik fell to a similar trap in the fifth over, though he didn't seem too impressed with the umpire's decision to adjudge him caught behind, leaving the Indians in a perilous position. Tendulkar, though, appeared to be batting on a far flatter pitch. He began with a crisp two to midwicket but really announced himself with a dart-straight caress past Onions for four.
Earlier, Bresnan and Chris Tremlett added 34 in seven overs before England Lions declared their innings, leaving the Indians 81 overs of play on the second day. Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan tried their best to rattle the batsmen with yorkers but both kept away the good deliveries amid swatting the poor ones. Tremlett cracked three fours and a six this morning, entertaining the crowd that had gathered for the start of the day.