India declares on 298-8, sets England 272 to win 2nd test

London: Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah rescued India on Day 5 of the second test against England, putting up an unbeaten 89 runs for the ninth wicket on Monday to frustrate the host team and raise the likelihood of an increasingly fractious match at Lord’s ending in a draw.

India declared on 298-8 just after lunch, setting England a victory target of 272 that the team is unlikely to attempt in 60 overs at the home of cricket.

There is also the prospect of bad light coming into the equation, with the floodlights already on in gloomy conditions.

Resuming on 181-6, India had Rishabh Pant (22) and Ishant Sharma (16) dismissed by Ollie Robinson in the opening half-hour and was reduced to 209-8, leaving England as the clear favorite.

That brought Bumrah to the middle alongside Shami, and their aggressive, flamboyant shot-making took the game away from England, whose tactics and field-placing became questionable as its discipline turned ragged.

Verbal clashes between Bumrah and some England players - notably Mark Wood, who attempted to rough up his fellow paceman, and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler - added spice to the occasion and appeared to fire up India captain Virat Kohli watching from the pavilion balcony.

Shami brought up just his second half-century in 53 tests with a four and a huge six in successive balls before lunch, and he was 56 not out when Kohli declared soon after the players came out for the second session. Bumrah was unbeaten on 34.

Neither player had passed 10 previously in this series, which lies at 0-0 after a drawn first test at Trent Bridge.

England lost its way when Bumrah arrived, targeting him with rough stuff apparently in response to Bumrah’s aggressive bowling to Jimmy Anderson on Saturday evening. Bumrah required two mandatory concussion tests after being hit on the helmet twice.