Live Updates: The toss was delayed due to rain as India face England in the second Test at Lord’s. The visitors trail 1-0 after they were beaten in the first Test at Edgbaston and Virat Kohli & Co will look to produce a better show on a ground where they have won just 2 out of their last 17 Test matches. Kohli will be banking on his top-order batsmen to fire after a disappointing show in the first Test and the visitors can opt for a second spin option in Kuldeep Yadav. For England, Ollie Pope will be making his debut with Moeen Ali possibly playing alongside Adil Rashid in the spin department.
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Five things India should do to win Lord’s Test
Covers still on
The drizzle has persisted and the covers are still on. This is not what the cricket fans were hoping for after the exciting encounter at Edgbaston. But, London weather can be quite fickle and it can be sunny in a matter of hours.
Toss delayed
It is still raining in London and the toss is delayed. The pitch can retain moisture due to the persistent rain and it will be a good deck for the pace bowlers once the game begins.
Rahane’s record
Ajinkya Rahane averages 64.50 in the second Test of a series compared to 25.75 in the first match of a series (including one-off Tests). Five of his nine Test 100s have come in the second Test of a series.
England’s record at Lord’s
The last time England played a Test match at this venue, they were defeated by Pakistan. In May, a nine-wicket defeat by Pakistan at Lord’s meant England had gone eight Tests without a win following series losses in Australia and New Zealand.
Light drizzle, covered pitches
It is raining lightly in London and the pitches are under cover. The start of the match can be delayed due to the rain and only time will till if the game will start on time.
Sachin Tendulkar’s advice
India legend Sachin Tendulkar had some words of wisdom for Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli ahead of the Lord’s Test. “I would say, just continue, he’s doing a fantastic job so just continue. Don’t worry about what’s happening around you, keep your focus on what you want to achieve, and let your heart guide the way,” he told ESPN Cricinfo.
Rainy day at London?
According to reports, the pitch is under covers under gloomy skies in London. When it comes to India’s team selection, nothing is certain as of now, and as the weather in England tends to be fleeting, the Indian management should take all factors into consideration. Read our analysis here.
‘Doesn’t matter who takes us over the line’
Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli said that it does not matter who performs as long as India wins the second Test match against England at Lord’s.
“It doesn’t matter whether I get (over) the line or Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) does or (Murali) Vijay does or KL (Rahul) does or whoever does. As long as we cross the line, that is the only thing that matters,” Kohli insisted.
India’s Probable XI
Will Shikhar Dhawan get another chance or it is comeback time for Cheteshwar Pujara? A look at the probable XI for the Indian cricket team, according to Hindustan Times. Read full story here. http://bit.ly/2OXlhcy
Debut for Ollie Pope
Ollie Pope will make his debut against India in the second Test starting at the Lord’s on Thursday.
Skipper Joe Root announced that Surrey batsman Pope will receive his first cap batting at No. 4, replacing Dawid Malan from the side that won the first game by 31 runs at Edgbaston last week.
Virat Kohli magic
In both the innings of the first Test which India lost by 31 runs, all the batsmen, apart from skipper Virat Kohli failed. No other batters supported Kohli, who at the other hand fought valiantly.
Kohli scored 149 in the first innings while the other batsmen could only score 107 runs combined. The story of the second innings was more or less the same as Kohli top-scored with 51 runs in 93 balls.
No Stokes for England
All-rounder Ben Stokes, who played an influential role in the Edgbaston win, is not a part of the Lord’s Test and Jos Buttler said it is going to be a “massive miss”.
“Stokes is going to be a massive miss at Lord’s, but we knew he wasn’t going to be involved. And, any time he isn’t in the side, it gives the chance to others to try and fill his shoes, just as Sam Curran did at Edgbaston. He has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.”
Two spinners for India?
Having lost the closely-contested first Test by a margin of 31 runs, skipper Virat Kohli indicated that his team could field two spinners to capitalise on the pitch when it is worn out while speaking at a press conference ahead of the second Test.
“When the wicket wears off, the spinners can come into play as well. So yeah, (it is) tempting though to field two spinners, but again we have to take a call on that. Depending on the team balance but yeah, I think it’s definitely in contention,” he said.
Hello and welcome to the 2nd Test
The second Test match between India and England is here and it is a crucial encounter for Virat Kohli & Co. They are trailing 1-0 in the five-match series and a loss at Lord’s can end their hopes of winning this series.
Source: HindustanTimes