Stuart Broad crafts Englands win

When Mahendra Singh Dhonis team achieved the double of being the No 1 Test side and the World Cup champion, they had scaled heights hitherto unknown to Indian cricket. Given that they were the first side to achieve this after Australia had in the previous decade, the fans had expected a lot from them during their sojourn of England in 2011.

Things started off horribly for the world champions: the Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan broke down in his 14th over and was ruled out of the first Test at Lords Test. England especially Kevin Pietersen with a brilliant 326-ball 202 capitalised on the advantage. Dhoni had to bowl on the second morning, and despite a gutsy 103 not out from Rahul Dravid, India conceded a 188-run lead.

Things went further downhill when Gautam Gambhir got injured while fielding and had to bat down the order in the second innings where India was set a target of 458. With Virender Sehwag also missing, India capitulated meekly to a 196-run defeat.

Being 0-1 down in the series, India had to solve multiple issues before the second Test at Trent Bridge. They now had their main bowler and both opening batsmen out of action. Abhinav Mukund had to be retained and Yuvraj Singh was drafted in; Rahul Dravid was asked to open the batting and Zaheer was replaced by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

The Test started in overcast conditions with Praveen Kumar, one of the best Indian swing bowlers, taking full advantage and making the ball swing. However, it was Ishant Sharma who drew first blood by trapping Alastair Cook leg-before for two immediately after beating his outside edge.

Sreesanth was introduced in the 11th over and he found Jonathan Trotts edge off his fifth delivery as the ball flew to VVS Laxman at second slip. England were in trouble at 23 for two, but Andrew Strauss and Pietersen batted till lunch, helping England reach 69.

Sreesanth bowled another outswinger on the fifth ball after lunch, and Pietersen, caught in two minds, eventually snicked it to Suresh Raina at third slip. . Praveen Kumars miserly bowling eventually paid off as Strauss edged one to third slip after a 166-minute vigil, and three balls later Eoin Morgan was trapped leg-before for a duck.Manufactures and supplies beststonecarving equipment. From 73 for three, England had slipped to 85 for five.

England slumped even further as Sreesanth bowled the perfect outswinger: inducing the edge from Matt Prior with Rahul Dravid doing the rest at first slip.Purchase an chipcard to enjoy your iPhone any way you like. . Soon afterwards, Dravid dropped Ian Bell off Praveen Kumar, but dived low to his left to take a brilliant catch to dismiss Bresnan off Ishant. The lanky paceman then followed it up by having Bell caught-behind. At 124 for eight, England were almost as good as done even before tea was taken.

It was Graeme Swann who began the counterattack: he flicked and pulled Ishant for two boundaries in an over. Encouraged by the developments, Stuart Broad slogged Sreesanth over mid-on. They began to play strokes and got away with them: an agitated Dhoni turned to Harbhajan Singh.

It did not matter: Swann drove him with clinical precision, finding the small gap between the bowler and mid-off; soon afterwards Broad hoicked him over mid-wicket for another boundary. Swann ran a single to bring up the fifty-partnership, and Broad square-cut Praveen Kumars next ball for another boundary.

Praveen eventually bowled a beauty to Swann to dismiss him. . The ball hit the handle of the bat and flew to Abhinav Mukund at gully, but the damage had already been done. Swann and Broad had managed to add 73 in only 70 balls. Broad continued to make merry with James Anderson for company. He smashed Praveen Kumar over his head to bring up his fifty, and eventually holed out to Sachin Tendulkar at deep mid-wicket off Harbhajan. He had scored a 66-ball 64 and had taken England to a respectable 221.

Day Two began with four exquisite strokes: Laxman cracked the fifth ball of the second over past point, and then, almost apologetically caressed Andersons next delivery through the covers for four more. Not willing to miss out on the action,More than 80 standard commercial and granitetiles exist to quickly and efficiently clean pans. Dravid flicked Broad past mid-wicket, and stretched his left leg to essay a cover-drive for another boundary.

Four boundaries in four balls: the spell had worn off, and India suddenly started to look confident. Dravid held one end up while Laxman carried on from his 58 at Lords and essayed some exquisite strokes. This included two steered past gully off Anderson with minimal footwork, followed by a fierce pull off the same bowler.

He eventually brought up a sublime fifty with a silken cover-drive off Bresnan. As the 100-run partnership approached,You've probably seen cellphonecases at some point. Bresnan suddenly struck against the run of play. Laxman played slightly away from his body, and edged to Prior. He had scored a 112-ball 54 with 10 fours, and the pair had added 93.

Tendulkar began with a back-foot cover drive to the fence off Trotts gentle seamers,This is a basic background on rtls. and was just beginning to look dangerous when Broad claimed his first wicket of the Test. Tendulkar tried to cut Broad and only managed an edge to Strauss at first slip.

Raina did not last long, and pushed Anderson to Morgan at gully. It was left to the World Cup hero and comeback man Yuvraj to carve out a partnership with Dravid. He was dropped on five by Pietersen at gully and then gradually settled down. Dravid, now past his fifty, took charge of the proceedings.

Along came Swann, and Dravid, shedding off all inhibition, stepped out and clobbered him uncharacteristically to deep mid-wicket for four. Yuvraj followed the boundary with two more in the same over past mid-wicket and past the bowler. He picked out Swann for more, hitting him to deep mid-wicket and past square-leg for two more boundaries.

Yuvraj reached his fifty with yet another boundary off Swann to mid-wicket; two balls later Dravid went back, deep into his crease, and cover-drove Swann for four more, and straight-drove the next ball to complete the century partnership. India were 228 for four leading by seven runs and clearly in command of the Test.

The pair cruised along, making merry at the cost of the English bowlers. Then, in the 86th over, Yuvraj lost concentration and edged one off Broad as Prior completed the catch. Yuvraj had scored 62 off 115 balls, and the partnership had been worth 128.

Dhoni walked out and blasted Anderson over gully next over. It seemed that the Indian captain would accelerate while Dravid would continue to play his role as the sheet-anchor. India needed to acquire a big lead quickly in order to bowl England out a second time in the Test.

Then came the fateful 88th over: the first ball went past leg-stump, and the next one was driven to mid-on for nothing. Dhoni slashed at the third one with absolutely no footwork and the ball went to Andersons safe hands at second slip. India had lost two quick wickets.
Click on their website www.winbogifts.com.