England 118 for 3 (Burns 49, Root 48*, Siraj 2-34) trail India 364 (Rahul 129, Anderson 5-62) by 246 runs
LONDON: England captain Joe Root held firm with the bat but could not prevent India maintaining their grip on the second Test at Lord’s on Friday.
The hosts were 119-3 at stumps on the second day, still 245 runs adrift of India’s first-innings 364.
But amid yet another top-order collapse, star batsman Root was 48 not out.
Root had come in with England struggling at 23-2 after Mohammed Siraj took two wickets in successive deliveries — with the recalled Haseeb Hameed out for a golden duck.
England were 246 behind with Root looking solid, after he had put up an encouraging stand with Rory Burns that came just in time as a potent spell from Mohammed Siraj threatened to put India on top once again.
Earlier, overnight centurion KL Rahul miscued a drive straight to extra cover off Ollie Robinson, second ball of the day, and Anderson had Ajinkya Rahane caught behind off the first ball next over to put an end to a 23-ball effort for India’s vice-captain that yielded a single run.
At 282 for 5, India were suddenly in danger of a rapid end to their innings as England made use of the overcast conditions far better than they had on the first day.
