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SPORTS AUGUST 20, 2021 | The Indian Eye 40

“Every single one of us wanted ber 2017, has gained 19 slots to
this win, you could see it, you reach 37th place with a knock of
could feel it and watching it play 129 in the first innings.
out was incredible.” The bowlers to gain from
At the start of Day 5, England the Lord’s Test include James
looked like the favourites to win Anderson, who has gained
the match. But Jasprit Bumrah one spot and is sixth after a
and Mohammed Shami showed five-wicket haul in the first in-
class with the bat, and then nings while England pacer
an epic bowling performance Mark Wood and India’s Mo-
sealed the deal for the visitors. hammad Siraj have made sig-
England skipper Joe Root nificant gains to reach 37th and
has denied using the short-ball 38th positions, respectively.
tactic a bit too much in the second Wood has gained five slots
innings, but admitted that India with five wickets in the match
jumped on to something that while Siraj’s four wickets in each
emotionally gave them an edge. indian skipper Virat Kohli during the 5th day of the Second test match innings sees him gain 18 places
England was in the box seat between india and England at Lord's, in London (ani Photo) The latest weekly update,
in the second innings after re- which includes performances in
ducing India to 209/8, but the the first Test in Kingston, sees
hosts lost the plot when Jasprit Pakistan captain Babar Azam
Bumrah and Mohammed Sha- move up two slots to eighth
mi came to the crease. England position among batters after
used the short ball a bit too much, scores of 30 and 55 while Fa-
and the Indian duo played sen- heem Ashraf and Fawad Alam
sibly to form an 89-run stand for have gained four slots each to
the ninth wicket. “Fair play to reach 48th and 55th positions,
Virat Kohli and his team. They respectively.
jumped on to something that In a related development,
emotionally gave them an edge. England men’s head coach
I think a lot falls on my shoul- Chris Silverwood has named
ders as captain,” he said. “Tac- a 15-player squad for the third
tically I could have done things Test match against India start-
slightly differently,” cricket. ing at Emerald Headingley on
com.au quoted Root as saying. Wednesday, August 25.
“The Shami and Bumrah Yorkshire batsman Daw-
partnership was the pivotal mo- id Malan returned to the Test
ment of the game, without ques- squad for the first time in three
tion, and I don’t think I dealt years. He last played Test crick-
with that well enough tactically. et in August 2018 in England’s
It put us in a difficult position. victory over India at Edgbaston.
Looking back, I’d look at some He will be looking to add to
of the field placings and the his 15 caps. Lancashire seamer
way that we bowled. We could Saqib Mahmood is included af-
have looked at maybe attacking ter impressing in all formats. He
the stumps a little bit more fre- mohammed Shami celebrates his half-century during the 5th day of the has yet to make his Test debut
quently and using the short ball Second test match at Lord's (ani Photo) but will be aiming to add to his
as more of a surprise,” he added. England credentials, having al-
“We have to give them some tive fifth and sixth spot, but En- dia, has risen another two slots ready been capped by the senior
credit. They scored in unusual gland captain Joe Root jumped to the second position after the side in ODIs and IT20s.
areas and made it hard to set two spots to claim the second second Test. The 24-year-old right-arm
conventional fields and (we) position in the ICC men’s Test Root, a formerly top-ranked quick is familiar with the En-
were trying to manage taking Player Rankings. batter in the format, is on 893 gland set-up, having toured as a
wickets but not letting the game Root’s valiant 180 not out rating points, only eight less than reserve during England’s winter
get away from us. But I would in the first innings of the Lord’s Kiwi skipper Williamson. Player Test programmes in Sri Lanka
have taken a little bit more time Test has taken him to within of the Match KL Rahul is anoth- and India. In addition, he was
and probably brought more striking distance of top-ranked er batter to gain after helping part of the extended squads
modes of dismissal into the batter Kane Williamson in the India to a 151-run victory and during last summer’s behind
game sooner,” said Root. Test rankings. The England cap- a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series. closed doors Test series against
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and tain, who started the series in The 29-year-old opener, West Indies and Pakistan and
opening batsman Rohit Sharma fifth place and overtook Kohli whose career-best is the eighth was called up as back up in the
remained firm at their respec- after the first match against In- position he attained in Novem- build-up to the first Test at Lord’s.

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