Filed under: Cricket, England Cricket, Tests, India Cricket
Second Test Day Four (close): First Innings: England 221. (Stuart Broad 64, Praveen Kumar 3-45, Ishant Kumar 3-66, Sreesanth 3-77) India 288. (Rahul Dravid 117, Yuvraj Singh 62, VVS Laxman 54, Broad 6-46) Second Innings: England 544 (Ian Bell 159, Tim Bresnan 90, Matt Prior 73, Eoin Morgan 70, Kevin Pietersen 63). India 158 (Sachin Tendulkar 56, Tim Bresnan 5-38) England won by 319 runs.Tim Bresnan ensured England's relentless march towards the top of the ICC World Test rankings gathered more momentum as India were bullied to defeat at Trent Bridge with a day to spare.
England captain Andrew Strauss felt his side was near perfect in winning the first Test at Lords, but the ruthless nature in which they humiliated the tourists made an even bigger statement of their power and standing in the longest form of the game.
The hosts produced their biggest ever victory margin against India, in a game where they had to bat twice, beating the previous best set in 1990 as India's batting line-up was blown away in less than 48 overs.
England v India Scorecard
Bresnan grabbed his opportunity, in place of the injured Chris Tremlett, to claim his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket after falling ten runs short of a maiden Test hundred to underpin the victory which gives England the 2-0 margin they need to climb to the top of the rankings.
England can rarely have put together a better all-round unit than the side currently presided over by team director Andy Flower and they would have won with even more to spare but for the defiance of Sachin Tendulkar.
The "Little Master" stroked his way to his 60th Test half-century off only 80 balls, before his dream of collecting his 100th century of his career was ended by James Anderson.
India's generosity to Ian Bell dominated the previous day, but they extended it further with a woeful bowling display in the morning session which suggested they had already given up the game.
MS Dhoni's bowlers were flayed all over Trent Bridge as England added 103 runs in 19.2 overs to extend their lead to 477, which must have seemed impossible when they were 128-8 on day one.
But England's intensity with the bat second time around was matched with the ball as India's top order were blown away again unable to cope with the swing and pace of England's seamers.
Stuart Broad set the tone by claiming the prized wicket of Rahul Dravid as India failed to negotiate a tricky 20 minutes session before lunch, which was followed up shortly after the interval by Anderson removing VVS Laxman.
It was the introduction of Bresnan which saw any semblance of Indian fight ripped out as he claimed 4 wickets for 17 runs in devastating seven over spell.
Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina both perished against the short ball and Dhoni's fateful decision to pad up left him lbw in his very first ball and Bresnan on a hat-trick, which Harbhajan Singh negotiated to prevent only the second hat-trick in a Test match for almost 100 years.
Bresnan returned to claim his fifth victim and deny Harbhajan his 50 before Anderson and Broad wrapped up an impressive victory.
REACTION:
Strauss could only have praise for the resilience of his side for the way they bounced back:
"When we were 124-8 on the first day we were behind the eight-ball and again when Stuart Broad came back with the second new ball in India's first innings.
"It was a fantastic turn-around and I am very proud of the performance the team has put in. There are times we have had to dig deep and make sure we take the chances we create for ourselves."
On the performance of Bresnan:
"He was unlucky not to be selected in the first Test. He has never let us down and he was outstanding with the bat and the ball and he keeps putting his credentials up there."
On how he felt at 124-8 on day one:
"We just said to Broad and Swann to play their natural game. They have been in tough situations for us before and they turned it around and the momentum it gave us was vital."
On the performance of Bell:
"It was an outstanding innings he played. To score that freely in difficult conditions was fantastic. He is in the form of his life at the moment and he seems to be getting better and better."
On the decision of Dhoni to re-instate Bell:
"It was a very commendable thing to do. It was right for the game. I can understand as a captain how difficult a situation that is. He has set a great example for me and all other Test captains."
On whether he would have done the same:
"I would like to think so."
On whether Jonathan Trott will be fit for the third Test:
"He has been for a scan and we will have to wait for results."
On being one win away from world number one:
"It is a great incentive for the next game. We just have to go and try to win the game and let everything else take care of itself."
Man of the Match Broad is delighted to have found his best form again:
"It's nice to get personal rewards, but it is more important to be part of a winning Test team. It was a great performance as a side and had some special individual performances too."
On what is giving him most pleasure his runs or his wickets:
"The wickets. I found them hard to come by in the first half of the season, but the 60-odd in the first innings when we were in a bit of trouble was fun."
Dhoni felt his side lost the match when they let England off the hook in the first innings:
"I think we let things slip away then. Those 100 extra runs were crucial and the way they came back with the ball when we were four down in the first innings was crucial too."
On his side's poor batting performances.
"That is a bit of a concern. We have not put huge scores on the board when we have batted. If you are a side known for its batting, then you need to put extra runs on the board."
On the fitness of his players:
"Zaheer Khan has been doing some fitness tests and injuries are part of the game. The problem we have is that we can't operate with three bowlers because all our part-time bowlers are spinners."
On his own batting form:
"It is a concern. When you are the leader you want to perform and do well, but you need to see whether you are doing the right preparation and if you are preparing right, it is only a matter of time that the form comes back."
On recalling Ian Bell:
"When we went back to the dressing room we did not feel OK with what had happened. It was not about the rules and the spirit of the game. When you go back to your hotel at the end of the day you want to feel you have played the game in the right way."
On whether they can turn things around:
"That is what Test cricket is about. At the top level you find yourselves in difficult situations and you have to find a way."
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Bresnan might have missed out on a century, but he hit back with the ball and his working over of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina was stirring stuff. It was a shame he could not match Broad's hat-trick in the first innings.
PLAY OF THE DAY: Anderson might not have taken the majority of the wickets, but the unplayable delivery he produced to dismiss VVS Laxman, which swung in and seamed away set the tone.
WHAT IT MEANS: England's confidence can rarely have been higher. They have demolished and demoralised the side at the top of the ICC Test rankings and will fancy a 4-0 whitewash of the series. It looks entirely possible on the evidence of the first two Tests in which India have looked as if they have thrown in the towel. The tourists are battered and bruised and must wonder where their next win will come from. They desperately need Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag back.
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