India edge ahead after Kumar’s six

Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with figures of 6-82 as India ended day three of the second Test against England with a second-innings lead of 145.

Opener Murali Vijay was 59 not out and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 12, as India survived to 169-4 after conceding a first-innings lead to England at lunchtime.

Resuming on 84-1 in the final session, Cheteshwar Pujara and Vijay guided India to 118 when Liam Plunkett struck.

Pujara made 43 when he reached for a delivery that should have been ignored, and wicket-keeper Matt Prior caught him to become the first player to take 50 catches at Lord’s.

With the next ball, Plunkett bowled Virat Kohli for a golden duck, the ball weaving inwards into off stump.

The Lord’s crowd, subdued after a soporific hour after tea where India slowly increased its total, was suddenly roaring approval for Plunkett, who was preparing to bowl for his hat trick for the third time in four Tests.

But like the other two opportunities against Sri Lanka, they were not successful. His third delivery sailed wide of off stump and never required Ajinkya Rahane to play at it.

“When Kohli came in I wanted to hit off stump as hard as I can, and it kept in line,” Plunkett said. “Ideally, for any new batsmen, whether you are on a hat trick or not, you want to try and get it in that channel and not bowl a wide one.”

But Rahane, a centurion in the first innings, made only five before his fend at a Stuart Broad bouncer lobbed to a vacant square leg, where Prior raced over and took the catch.

Rahane was dismayed as umpire Bruce Oxenford confirmed the wicket, and TV replays revealed the ball crashed into his arm guard. But umpire reviews aren’t available to either side in this series, and England had a third wicket for five runs.