England thrash India by an innings at Lord’s

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LONDON: England thrashed India by an innings and 159 runs to win the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday with visiting skipper Virat Kohli admitting: “We deserved to lose.”

Victory, achieved on the fourth day of a rain-marred match featuring a total first-day washout, put England 2-0 up in this five-match series.

“I am not very proud of the way we played,” said Kohli. “England deserved to win; we deserved to lose.”

India slumped to 130 all out in their second innings, with James Anderson taking his 100th Test wicket at Lord’s en route to four for 23, with Stuart Broad’s four for 44 featuring two wickets in two balls.

But, appropriately, Chris Woakes ended the match when he had Ishant Sharma caught at leg-slip by debutant Ollie Pope.

Woakes, recalled in place of Ben Stokes after his fellow all-rounder was omitted because of an ongoing trial for affray, made 137 not out — his maiden Test century — in England’s first-innings 396 for seven declared.

His stand of 189 with Jonny Bairstow, an England record for the sixth-wicket against India, helped the hosts recover after they had slumped to 89 for four.

Anderson took five for 20 in swing-friendly conditions as India collapsed to 107 all out in their first innings.

India batted for just 82.2 overs in the entire match, with England’s lone innings occupying 88.1 overs. England completed their total and utter domination of India in the Lord’s Test with a win in just 170.3 overs, making it the third-shortest Test in the country over the last 100 years.

The third Test at Trent Bridge starts on Saturday, with India now looking to become only the second team in history to win a five-Test series from 2-0 down after a Don Bradman-inspired Australia achieved the feat against England back in 1936/37.