3rd Test: India should have upper hand
28 July 2014 5:15 AM IST
After the way the Indians dominated the Lord’s Test the mood is upbeat as they look to heap more misery on England, who have gone 10 Tests without a win, when the two teams face off at the Ageas Bowl here.
A win here will give India an unassailable 2-0 lead with the first Test at Trent Bridge ending in a draw.
The Indians outplayed England both with the bat and ball to win the Lord’s Test by 95 runs and break the jinx of not winning a Test at the cricket headquarters.
In batting, Murali Vijay’s rise has been unprecedented and the Chennai opener’s 317 runs in four innings is more than what Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook put together have scored in the series.
But what really has taken everyone by surprise has been Vijay’s patience and self-denial at the crease.
Known for his explosiveness in the Twenty20 format, having made a name in the Indian Premier League, Vijay has shown great staying powers by offering no shot to 315 of the 922 balls he has faced.
In bowling, Ishant Sharma’s seven-wicket burst in the second Test might have grabbed all the headlines but the real hero for India was Vijay. The opener’s brilliant 95 in the second innings on a green pitch tailor-made for the English bowlers was just the start India wanted to take a big lead.
A win here will give India an unassailable 2-0 lead with the first Test at Trent Bridge ending in a draw.
The Indians outplayed England both with the bat and ball to win the Lord’s Test by 95 runs and break the jinx of not winning a Test at the cricket headquarters.
In batting, Murali Vijay’s rise has been unprecedented and the Chennai opener’s 317 runs in four innings is more than what Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook put together have scored in the series.
But what really has taken everyone by surprise has been Vijay’s patience and self-denial at the crease.
Known for his explosiveness in the Twenty20 format, having made a name in the Indian Premier League, Vijay has shown great staying powers by offering no shot to 315 of the 922 balls he has faced.
In bowling, Ishant Sharma’s seven-wicket burst in the second Test might have grabbed all the headlines but the real hero for India was Vijay. The opener’s brilliant 95 in the second innings on a green pitch tailor-made for the English bowlers was just the start India wanted to take a big lead.
Next Story
