Twitter flooded with hilarious memes after India's middle-order fails again

Sports

Hindustan Times
14 August, 2021, 01:25 pm
Last modified: 14 August, 2021, 01:32 pm
India were bowled out 364, losing their last 7 wickets for only 88 runs on Friday. Here is how Twitter was flooded with memes after India’s middle-order collapse at Lord’s against England.

Twitter was flooded with memes as the Indian middle-order failed to build on the platform provided by the openers on Day 2 of the India vs England second Test match at Lord's. Resuming the day at 276 for 3, India were bowled out for 364, losing their last 7 wickets for only 88 runs on Friday.

Having scored two off Friday's first ball, from Ollie Robinson, Rahul mistimed a drive, a shot he had played so well on Thursday, off the seamer's next delivery low to Dom Sibley at short cover. It was the end of a more than six-and-a-half-hour innings of 250 balls that included 12 fours and a six.

India's 278-4 soon became 282-5 when Ajinkya Rahane, looking a shadow of the batsman who scored a Test hundred at Lord's in 2014, fell for his overnight one when edging James Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, to Root at first slip.

Pujara, Rahane and captain Kohli have been short of runs, to say the least in this series so far. Rahul and Rohit put on a 126-run stand – India's first three-figure opening stand in overseas Tests in almost 10 years. Rahul then carried on to score a fantastic 129 but he did not get much support from the middle-order.

In the first Test too Rahul and Rohit had given India a great start with a 97-run start but India lost four quick wickets to hand over the advantage.

Here is how Twitter reacted to India's middle-order collapse at Lord's.

If it wasn't for the important stand between two left-handers Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja then India might have folded before reaching 350.

He had made a typically brisk 37, including five fours, when he edged a cut off a wide ball from fast bowler Mark Wood, recalled after Stuart Broad suffered a series-ending calf injury, and was caught behind by opposing wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

India's 331-6 then became 336-7 when Mohammed Shami fell for a duck after tamely chipping off-spinner Moeen Ali to midwicket.

After lunch, Jadeja (40) and Ishant hung around for a bit but once Ishant was dismissed by Anderson, who completed his fifth five-wicket haul by dismissing Bumrah in the next over, the writing was on the wall.

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