England v India: Our seamers will show you how it's done, says tourists' hero Ajinkya Rahane
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Your support makes all the difference.England's poor bowling performance on the opening day has given India the perfect opportunity to establish a winning position, according to the tourists' batting hero Ajinkya Rahane.
India's centurion said the home side bowled too many short deliveries, and he believes India's bowling attack will show England how to do it when they get the chance, almost certainly today.
"A fuller length is the right way to go and I'm sure that will suit our bowlers," said Rahane. "I'm sure Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami can add 25 or 30 more runs and after that it will not be easy for the England batsmen.
"In the first session they bowled a bit short. In the third session, Liam Plunkett bowled short and that is easier for a batsman on this wicket than when the ball is full. I'm sure our bowlers will learn from this."
The preliminary inquiry into the clash between James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja in the Trent Bridge pavilion during the first Test last Thursday will begin this Tuesday.
Anderson could be banned for up to four Tests if an ICC panel rules he was guilty of physically aggressive behaviour towards the India all-rounder. You dread to think what state England might be in without Anderson, who took four for 55.
The ICC has appointed Gordon Lewis, Australia's representative on the Code of Conduct Commission, as the Judicial Commissioner to preside over the hearing.
Anderson was charged with a level three offence, a rarity in the game, because India allege he was physically aggressive towards Jadeja. The home side disagree and have themselves accused Jadeja of a level two offence which carries the possibility of a one-match ban. There could be a verdict before the Third Investec Test, which starts a week on Sunday at Southampton.
Lewis also presided over the hearing last year into the incident between Australia's David Warner and England batsman Joe Root. Warner punched Root in a Birmingham bar last June and was punished by his home board with a fine and a ban.
While England were able to blame the dead pitch for their lack of effectiveness with the ball in the first Test at Trent Bridge, there were no such excuses here. On a wicket that was perfect for seam bowling, Alastair Cook's attack wasted the first and second new balls – a small crime in these conditions.
Ben Stokes was among those guilty although he did pick up the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara with a fine delivery that came back up the slope off the seam, sneaked between bat and pad and clipped the top of middle stump.
With the words of the ECB media team no doubt fresh in his mind, Stokes said afterwards that he was unable to discuss the Anderson-Jadeja issue. He admitted that England had been annoyed at failing to bowl India out on the opening day after winning the toss.
Stokes said: "There is frustration, especially with what happened in the final session. But the good thing to take away is that we keep knocking over their top order. We were unlucky towards the end of the day with plays and misses and the ball flying over the slips."
Stokes, who has yet to taste Test victory, also had praise for Anderson. He added: "It was brilliant to watch him bowl. He has consistency and he knows his game inside out.
"The way he sets players up with the ability he has to swing the ball both ways is something I try to do myself when the ball is swinging. I hope I'll be at his level one day."
Shot, ball and moment of the day
Shot of the day
An off drive by Virat Kohli in the fourth over of the afternoon embodied his perfect timing and ease of movement. As he leant into a ball of good length and stroked it to the right side of the pavilion for four, it bore the promise of more to come. Five balls later he was out.
Ball of the day
With the 17th ball of the match, Jimmy Anderson, man of the moment, produced a delivery of full length that jagged away from Shikhar Dhawan, took the edge and was smartly held low at third slip by Gary Ballance. It made Anderson the highest Test wicket-taker in England.
Moment of the day
Ravi Jadeja, Anderson's accuser on his serious Level 3 charge under the ICC code of conduct, went to the crease and was loudly booed around the ground. It was virtually unprecedented at Lord's, the worst behaviour since some members berated the umpires in 1980.
Stephen Brenkley
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