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After a terrific spell by Sam Curran in the first session, it was the ‘Ben Stokes show’ during the second. Stokes was given the ball to begin proceedings and Virat Kohli welcomed the change with two boundaries in the very first over. Stokes didn’t take long to find his rhythm though and almost got a wicket in his second over when he got the ball to cut in sharply hitting Ajinkya Rahane on the pads. Having wasted one review early in the day, England decided not to review Aleem Dar’s decision of 'Not Out'. However, replays reveal that the ball was hitting the leg stump.
It didn’t take long for Stokes to finally get his man though as Rahane conceded a thick edge in his very next over sending the ball flying to Jennings at third slip. Meanwhile, Kohli was having his own set of problems facing Anderson twice edging deliveries that fell just short of the men at slips. Stokes looked more dangerous with every delivery he was bowling and was eventually rewarded for his efforts with his 100th test wicket. Dinesh Karthik didn’t get much time to settle down as Stokes sent his middle stump flying with only the fourth delivery that the batsman faced. Karthik left a gaping hole in his defence as he tried to play the drive and the ball sneaked in between bat and pad sending him back for a duck.
Hardik Pandya was the new man in and was immediately given a scare by Stokes on just the fourth ball he faced. Stokes sent in a big hooping inswinger and Pandya didn’t have time to react as the ball thudded into his pad. Aleem Dar was quick to raise his finger and Pandya rather reluctantly went for the review which showed the ball missing the leg stump. Kohli who was facing Anderson was then drawn across his crease and tempted into the drive on a full length outswinger, conceding an edge which carried to Malan at second slip. Malan however, couldn’t hold onto the ball giving Kohli an extra life. Stokes then got a big edge off Pandya’s willow on the very next delivery and this time Cook was the culprit, dropping a sitter at first slip. Just like that England put down two in two consecutive deliveries.
Pandya slowly found his feet as the game progressed hitting Stokes for back-to-back boundaries in the 34th over. Stokes, however, wasn’t one to be contained as he continued to threaten, finding ample of swing on the pitch and beating the batsmen on quite a few occasions. Stuart Broad came in to replace Anderson who had bowled 15 overs and no one looked more relieved than Kohli, as he finally got his first boundary after facing 47 deliveries hitting Broad for two fours in the 39th over.
Curran who came in to replace Stokes finally made the breakthrough catching Pandya leg before wicket with a yorker that hit the batsman straight on the toes. Pandya went for the review but there was no respite for him this time as he was forced to make the walk back to the dressing room with Ravichandran Ashwin coming out to replace him. Kohli then hit a four in the next over bringing up his fifty. Kohli didn't have much time to celebrate though as Stokes induced an outside edge off the very next delivery but a diving Malan coundn't hold onto the catch once again, gifting Kohli his second life. A third slip would have spelled the end for the Indian skipper, however, on a day when wickets kept falling Kohli’s performance will be a big boost for India.
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