London: India have tightened their stranglehold over England in the 2nd ODI despite a flat pitch with England at 121/5 after 25 overs here at Lord's cricket ground. The bowling group, led by on-fire Jasprit Bumrah, picked wickets at regular intervals, and Mohammed Shami was in spectacular rhythm while writing this article.
Bumrah has so far been wicketless but went for just 16 runs in four overs. The manner in which the leader of the pack started, swinging both ways, set the tone for what was to come. The first breakthrough to provide was Hardik Pandya in Jason Roy (23 from 33 balls), who struggled throughout only to flick a loosener by Pandya straight to the deep backward square leg where Suryakumar Yadav pouched an easy catch.
Jonny Bairstow (38 from 38 deliveries) and Joe Root (11 from 21) were both sent to the pavilion by Yuzvendra Chahal. A flighted delivery by Chahal that met with slogsweep by Bairstow, only that he missed and the ball went on to crash the stumps. Root, on the other hand, tried to sweep a tossed-up delivery by Chahal but missed it completely to be adjudged leg before by the umpire.
Jos Buttler (4 from 5 balls) was clean bowled by some brilliant bowling by Mohammed Shami. A fuller, slightly drifting inwards, dislodged Buttler's bails as he failed to connect his bat with the ball. Ben Stokes was the last man to go halfway through the match. He went for a reverse sweep only to miss the ball and adjudged lbw off Chahal. He was dismissed in 22nd over.
