James Anderson picked two wickets in two balls to peg India back after KL Raul gave India a splendid start and notched up his 12th Test fifty.
After an uninterrupted first day, the English weather gods had a major say in the proceedings of the second day of the first Test as only 33.4 overs of play could take place on Thursday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The day started with sunshine and a few clouds hovering around and the Indian openers made the most of the first morning on Day 2.
Both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul didn't look in much discomfort and eased their way into the innings and after a slow, watchful 50-run partnership, they started dictating terms. They respected the good balls, left quite a lot and didn't leave the bad ones.
Rahul, who is returning to Test cricket after a long time despite being with the team for the last three series including this one, was the aggressor here and seemed as if he was waiting for this opportunity after warming benches for several Test matches.
Unfortunately for India, the fantastic-looking partnership came to a tame end with Rohit Sharma playing his favorite pull-shot over fine-leg but straight into the hands of the fielder. This happened just before the lunch and who knew, what would follow.
The teams returned after lunch and Team India lost three more wickets within 15 runs as the 39-year old James Anderson showed again why he is not done yet. Cheteshwar Pujara had just survived an LBW scare after he shouldered his arms on an Ollie Robinson inswinging delivery, but James Anderson was just too good for him in the next over.
An outswinging delivery with just a tiny shape away took Pujara's edge into the hands of wicket-keeper Jos Buttler and the visitors lost their second wicket. They wouldn't have recovered from this blow and Anderson pegged them further back on his next ball dismissing Virat Kohli on almost similar delivery, but a touch shorter in a similar fashion and now the trouble bells started ringing for the Indian team.
If it didn't yet, it definitely did when they lost vice-captain Ajiknya Rahane two overs later owing to a run-out and from 97/0, India were now 112/4.
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant took the innings forward before bad light stopped play. The drizzle arrived later. It stopped. The players came back. Anderson bowled one ball. The rain came back. The players went back. The rain stopped. The players came back. Anderson bowled two balls. The rain came back. The players went back. The players didn't come back.
After such a stop-start few hours, the play was abandoned for the day because of the unrelenting rain and India ended the day on 125/4 off 46.4 overs.
The deficit still remains at 58, but the forecast doesn't look good for the third day and another stop-start day beckons at Trent Bridge on Friday.
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 "James Anderson, KL Rahul")
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