17th July 2014, New Delhi: India has for long missed a seamer all-rounder in its combination and Indian skipper MS Dhoni has always been vocal about it. Well, they may have now found one in form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar who once again came to his team’s rescue when the chips were down. The Meerut-lad built a crucial 90 runs partnership with young Ajinkya Rahane to guide India to a total of 290/9 at the end of first day’s play. More than once, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has showed that he has the temperament and technique to become a genuine all-rounder for the Indian team in all formats of the game. His gutsy knock of 36 off 83 balls on a pitch that tested the best of the Indian batsmen speaks a lot about his batting talent.
Moreover, the support he provided to Ajinkya Rahane from the other end was incredible. Not only could Rahane rely on him for a partnership, but could also build on his innings. Young Ajinkya then came up with a fabulous century for his team at a time when most of the Indian batsmen were struggling to hold the crease against the English bowlers. This is certainly one the best knocks I’ve seen from a youngster in test cricket under challenging conditions.
On the other hand, England would once again be frustrated for the fact that despite giving early blows to the visiting team, they could not wrap their innings. India has managed to reach a respectable total on a pitch that has lot to offer for the bowlers and it will be exciting to see how the second day of the Lord’s Test turns out for both the teams.
