Shami snares Root as England slump

Shami snares Root as England slump

LONDON: Mohammed Shami removed England captain Joe Root as India fought back with the ball on the third day of the second Test at Lord's on Saturday.

Mohammed Shami removed England captain Joe Root as India fought back in second Test

At lunch, England had collapsed to 89 for four -- still 18 runs behind India's lowly first-innings 107 all out.

Root was dismissed of what became the last ball of the session, lbw for 19 to a Shami off-cutter that came back sharply and kept low.

Shami had taken two wickets for 27 runs in 8.4 overs at lunch.

Jonny Bairstow was four not out, with England 1-0 up in this five-match series after a 31-run win in the first Test at Edgbaston last week.

Play resumed with England yet to start their innings.

India, following Thursday's total washout, had batted under overcast skies and on a green-tinged pitch in an innings that lasted a mere 35.2 overs.

James Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, took full advantage of the swing-friendly conditions with a return of five for 20.

By contrast, Saturday's play started under sunny blue skies that promised to make life easier for the batsmen.

But England's batting has often proved fallible recently.

In 17 Tests since Root became captain, England have been dismissed for under 300 in their first innings seven times.

Ishant Sharma, whose Test-best seven for 44 against England was central to India's 95-run win in the corresponding Lord's Test four years ago -- one of just two Indian victories in 17 previous Tests at 'the home of cricket' -- took the new ball.

But it was Shami who struck first when, from around the wicket, he had Keaton Jennings, aiming across the line, lbw for 11, with a wasteful review compounding his dismissal.

Five balls later Jennings's fellow left-handed opener Alastair Cook was out as well.

Cook's 21 featured four fours but he had no answer to a superb Sharma delivery from around the wicket that squared him up and seamed away before taking the outside edge on the way to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik.

- Promising Pope -

The exit of England's all-time leading Test run-scorer meant 20-year-old debutant batsman Ollie Pope walked out with the hosts in trouble at 32 for two off 8.2 overs.

It took the Surrey right-hander just two balls to score his first Test runs when he flicked a Sharma inswinger behind square-leg for four.

But a promising innings of 28 ended when Pope was lbw on the back foot to pace-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

Root, generously if unwisely, let Pope review the decision but Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar's original verdict was upheld and England were 77 for three.

Then came Root's exit and, with England having used up both their reviews, there was no delaying his departure.

Prior to Saturday's play, both the England team and ground owners MCC made presentations to head groundsman Mick Hunt, who was overseeing his last Test pitch before retiring at the end of the season after 49 years on the staff at Lord's.

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