Subhayan Chakraborty at Old Trafford
England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach was in full flow on Day 2 at Emirates Old Trafford, as openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley tore into a wayward Indian bowling attack to take the hosts to a commanding position in the Test match. The pair’s scintillating 166-run partnership in just 32 overs set the tone for England’s dominance, leaving India scrambling for answers on a pitch offering variable bounce.
The bowling day began with promise for India, as Jasprit Bumrah beat Crawley’s outside edge in a probing first over. Debutant Anshul Kamboj, handed the new ball, also showed early nerves of steel, troubling Ben Duckett with his first four deliveries. However, the left-hand batter quickly turned the tables, smashing Kamboj for consecutive boundaries to end the over and ignite England’s charge. From there, Kamboj’s lines and lengths faltered, leaking 29 runs in a brief three-over spell before being replaced by Mohammed Siraj.
Duckett, in particular, was relentless, targeting India’s pace trio of Bumrah, Siraj, and Kamboj with audacious strokeplay, especially on the leg side. With Indian captain Shubman Gill opting for an attacking field, featuring a packed slip cordon, the bowlers failed to capitalise, spraying the ball around even with the new ball. Duckett’s first seven boundaries came on the leg side, as he flicked and pulled with ease, exploiting the pacers’ puzzling tactic of targeting his body without posing a consistent threat. Crawley, meanwhile, played the perfect foil, driving and cutting with precision to keep the scoreboard racing.
By Tea, England had stormed to 77 without loss, with Siraj conceding 26 runs in three overs, Kamboj 29 in five, and even Bumrah, despite two maidens, leaking 22 in five. The Indian attack looked disjointed, lacking both a cohesive plan and the camaraderie to rally together. Kamboj, visibly under pressure in his debut Test, cut a lonely figure at the drinks break, with only a late pat on the back from Bumrah offering some solace.
The Indian bowlers’ struggles were compounded by the emotional high of Rishabh Pant’s courageous return to the crease, batting with a fractured fifth metatarsal. His gritty effort had the sold-out Old Trafford crowd on its feet, but the bowlers failed to match his spirit with disciplined bowling. Siraj, pitching too full, was repeatedly driven, while Kamboj’s attempt to emulate Jofra Archer’s leg-stump line resulted in three boundaries in his second over. Even Ravindra Jadeja, typically India’s go-to bowler for control, couldn’t stem the flow of runs.
India finally found some respite in the final hour when Kamboj, returning to the attack, dismissed Duckett for a scintillating 94. Jadeja also struck, getting the ball to turn and removing Crawley for a well-made 84. However, these breakthroughs came too late to shift the momentum. England ended the day at 225 for 2 in just 46 overs, still 133 runs behind India’s first-innings total but with the game firmly in their grasp.
With Joe Root and Ollie Pope now at the crease, backed by a deep batting lineup, England’s Bazballers are poised to press their advantage on Day 3.
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