James Anderson and Joe Root hit back as England gain footing in second Test against India

England finished on 119-3, trailing by 245, but still alive in the contest

Joe Root ended day two unbeaten at the crease (PA)

Lord’s was treated to a gripping day two of the second Test as England fought back from a dispiriting opening day to keep themselves alive in a contest that is intriguingly poised.

A sell-out crowd, largely dressed in red in honour of the Ruth Strauss foundation, which raised an impressive £530,721 on the day, were spared any of the rain that had blighted parts of Thursday’s play, and instead presented with a riveting day that saw 10 wickets fall and 207 runs scored. And while India remain favourites to win the match, England will be heartened by the resolve they showed to wrestle back a good deal of the initiative.

After the tourists’ brilliantly obdurate display on day one, England started proceedings on the second day in desperate need of quick wickets – a task they accomplished with unprecedented speed.

With much of the crowd still settling into their seats, Ollie Robinson struck as KL Rahul generously drove straight to Dom Sibley at cover, his excellent innings of 129 ending with just the second ball of the day.

Then with the first ball of the next over James Anderson struck, Ajinkya Rahane caught by Joe Root at first slip for 1, unable to do anything except edge the ball as it swung away from him just outside his off stump. In short it was a start to the day that you would not want to have missed.

Mohammed Shami traps Burns leg before wicket (AFP)

With a vertiginously long tail, India required something from the dangerous pair of Rishabh Pant and Ravi Jadeja and the duo combined well, taking India past 300 inside the first hour. However this was very much England’s morning and they would strike twice more before lunch, Mark Wood’s all out pace assault finally reaping some rewards as Pant edged one through to the keeper, and Moeen Ali picking up Mohammed Shami second ball, tamely chipping the ball to midwicket.

It was a thriller of a session, 70 runs scored by India but crucially four wickets taken by England, the score looking a little more even at 346-7.

England were a little sloppy in the field immediately after lunch, catches spilled and run out opportunities spurned, but there was little additional wag from India’s tail, with Anderson picking up the wickets of Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, to complete an incredible 31st international five wicket haul, before taking a simple catch at mid-on as Jadeja attempted to hit Wood to Timbuktu and succeeded only in skying the ball high in the air.

India had lost their final seven wickets for 88 runs, but thanks to their efforts on day one still managed a commanding 364 all out, a score that felt extremely useful with England’s worryingly frail batting to come.

There has perhaps been no more hotly debated and agonised over position in the last decade of English cricket than that of opener, and England’s pair came into this match with the pressure firmly on them, the lack of credible alternatives at times feeling like the only thing still keeping them in the side – hardly the most ringing of endorsements.

At Trent Bridge their first innings partnership failed to make it out of the first over, and history was close to repeating itself here, Rory Burns edging Sharma straight to second slip, the ball fortuitously bouncing just in front of the fielder.

As a pair they would last just over 14 overs, Sibley the first to go, softly chipping the ball straight to midwicket for the second time in as many matches – his knock of 11 not one to drive away the vultures circling his place in the side.

Mohammed Siraj had exposed a crack in the England batting line-up and he threatened to break it wide open with his very next ball, Haseeb Hameed’s long-awaited return to Test cricket lasting just one ball, unfortunately for him one that was full and straight and clattered straight into his stumps.

India had two in two and at 23-2 things were starting to look bleak for England. Once again it felt as if their only hope of redemption lay firmly in the hands of Joe Root.

James Anderson, left, and Joe Root carried England’s fight against India (PA Wire)

It is a role that by now he must be more than familiar with and combining well with Burns, one that he set about smartly. The pair put on a lively partnership of 85 together, including a four off Sharma that took Root past Graham Gooch to become England’s second highest Test run scorer.

However just as the close of play loomed invitingly into sight, the returning Mohammed Shami struck to put those supporting England back on edge, trapping Burns LBW for a well made 49 and bringing Jonny Bairstow to the crease for a nervy final 20 minutes of play.

It was a tricky period of play that the Yorkshire duo did well to negotiate, but they remained undefeated at the close, England 119-3, still trailing by 245 but still alive in a contest that had been very much threatening to escape their grasp at the start of play.