Sharma credits Zaheer for Lord's rally
LONDON: Zaheer Khan may have spent most of the first Test against England off the field with a hamstring injury but fellow India seamer Ishant Sharma credited him with a key role in his own Lord's revival.
The 22-year-old Sharma, a fast-medium bowler, looked decidedly unthreatening during a return of none for 128 in 32 overs as England piled up 474 for eight declared in their first innings.
But the tall paceman was a bowler transformed in the second innings as, with left-armer Zaheer still sidelined, he took four for 59 in 22 overs.
That included a dramatic spell before lunch Sunday of three for one in 16 balls that featured a double-wicket maiden.
Kevin Pietersen, who made a double century in the first innings, was caught behind for one and Ian Bell went for a duck after also nicking to India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sharma, asked to explain his personal turnaround, said he'd struggled initially with the eight foot slope that runs across the ground.
But he added Zaheer's suggestion of switching to the Nursery End, which helps take the ball down the slope and away from right-handed batsmen, had been the key to his success.
Thanks mainly to Sharma, England collapsed to 62 for five on Sunday.
But they ended up making 269 for six declared on the back of Matt Prior's 103 not out and an unbeaten 74 from Stuart Broad, with the duo's unbroken seventh-wicket stand worth 162 at nearly a run-a-ball.
That enabled England to set India 458 for victory -- and no side in what is now the 2,000 match history of Test cricket has made more to win in the fourth innings than the 418 for seven posted by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.
India, at Sunday's close, were 80 for one needing a further 378 runs to win in a minimum 98 overs on Monday's final day.
Rahul Dravid, who made a first innings century, was 34 not out and Venkatsai Laxman unbeaten on 32.
Prior, whose hundred was his second in as many Tests at Lord's following his 126 against Sri Lanka last month, said: "I think we're probably just ahead."
The wicketkeeper, playing his natural game, faced just 120 balls, including a six and five fours.
It was Prior's sixth century in 44 Tests and third in all at Lord's where he made 126 not out on debut against the West Indies in 2007.
The likes of India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting have yet to make a Test hundred at Lord's but Prior now has three of them to his credit.
The 22-year-old Sharma, a fast-medium bowler, looked decidedly unthreatening during a return of none for 128 in 32 overs as England piled up 474 for eight declared in their first innings.
But the tall paceman was a bowler transformed in the second innings as, with left-armer Zaheer still sidelined, he took four for 59 in 22 overs.
That included a dramatic spell before lunch Sunday of three for one in 16 balls that featured a double-wicket maiden.
Kevin Pietersen, who made a double century in the first innings, was caught behind for one and Ian Bell went for a duck after also nicking to India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Sharma, asked to explain his personal turnaround, said he'd struggled initially with the eight foot slope that runs across the ground.
But he added Zaheer's suggestion of switching to the Nursery End, which helps take the ball down the slope and away from right-handed batsmen, had been the key to his success.
Thanks mainly to Sharma, England collapsed to 62 for five on Sunday.
But they ended up making 269 for six declared on the back of Matt Prior's 103 not out and an unbeaten 74 from Stuart Broad, with the duo's unbroken seventh-wicket stand worth 162 at nearly a run-a-ball.
That enabled England to set India 458 for victory -- and no side in what is now the 2,000 match history of Test cricket has made more to win in the fourth innings than the 418 for seven posted by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.
India, at Sunday's close, were 80 for one needing a further 378 runs to win in a minimum 98 overs on Monday's final day.
Rahul Dravid, who made a first innings century, was 34 not out and Venkatsai Laxman unbeaten on 32.
Prior, whose hundred was his second in as many Tests at Lord's following his 126 against Sri Lanka last month, said: "I think we're probably just ahead."
The wicketkeeper, playing his natural game, faced just 120 balls, including a six and five fours.
It was Prior's sixth century in 44 Tests and third in all at Lord's where he made 126 not out on debut against the West Indies in 2007.
The likes of India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia's Ricky Ponting have yet to make a Test hundred at Lord's but Prior now has three of them to his credit.
Published by Unknown
on 04:58.
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