England regain control after Sharma heroics

Monday, 25 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters) - England extended their overall lead over India to 362 runs with four second innings wickets in hand at tea on the fourth day of the first test at Lord's on Sunday after Ishant Sharma had swept aside their middle order.

Four wickets fell in 32 balls in the morning session before Matt Prior (55 not out) and Stuart Broad (36 not out) restored their team's fortunes on a glorious afternoon to take England to 174 for six at the interval.Prior's second half-century of the match came off 78 balls with two boundaries and his seventh wicket partnership with Broad was worth 67.Their rescue act followed an explosive spell from Sharma who dismissed Kevin Pietersen (1), Ian Bell (0) and Jonathan Trott (22) before lunch followed by Eoin Morgan (19) after conceding 128 runs from 32 unsuccessful overs in the first innings.

Alastair Cook had already departed caught behind for one off Praveen Kumar after 43 minutes at the crease followed by Andrew Strauss, lbw for 32 sweeping across a straight delivery from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Sharma then took over to thrust the world number one side back into contention in the 2,000th test and the 100th between the two countries.

Pietersen, England's first innings hero with an unbeaten 202, edged a steepling delivery to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps. The same combination accounted for Bell in the same over, nibbling fatally outside the off stump.

Sharma then knocked Trott's off stump back, leaving England to lunch uneasily at 72 for five.

Morgan resisted for 77 minutes when he fell for 19, caught by Gautam Gambhir diving forward at mid-wicket after he had failed to get hold a pull shot off Sharma. Sharma had to wait for 11 overs before Dhoni asked him to bowl after lunch.

Broad, who scored 169 against Pakistan at Lord's last year, again looked a genuine all-rounder, playing one stunning off-drive to the boundary which was a leading candidate for shot-of-the-day. Prior batted intelligently for the second time in the match and by tea England had regained control.

Zaheer Khan, who left the field in England's first innings with a hamstring strain, was still missing on Sunday while Sachin Tendulkar was also absent with a virus infection.

India were forced to bring on a third substitute fielder when Gambhir was struck a painful blow on his left arm at short-leg by a full-blooded Prior sweep