1 Aug 2011

England earn emphatic victory over India

England beat India by 319 runs to win the second Test at Trent Bridge and take a 2-0 lead in the series against the world number one side.

England players celebrate. (Reuters)

England captain Andrew Strauss has paid tribute to a string of superb individual performances after England hammered India by 319 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the four-Test npower series.

Stuart Broad, on his home ground at Trent Bridge, took a first-innings hat-trick en route to match figures of eight for 76 and added counter-attacking innings of 64 and 44 to take the man-of-the-match award.

But Tim Bresnan, in for the injured Chris Tremlett, took seven wickets and smashed 90 in the second innings and Ian Bell made the most of his run-out reprieve with a second innings of 159.

After clinching victory, Strauss told Sky Sports: “To be 80 for six and 120 for eight you’re behind the eight-ball, but Broad and (Graeme) Swann have done that sort of stuff for us a few times before and it’s hard for captains to set fields for.

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“Then also Stuart Broad with the second new ball to get us back in the game. I’m proud of what we did this week, we’ve played some great cricket and come back at important times.

“(Bresnan) was unlucky not to play in the first Test and he was outstanding with bat and ball in this Test.

“He keeps putting his credentials in place and makes the (selection) decisions harder and harder. It’s a good position to be in, guys keep putting their hands up and performing, and whoever misses out is going to be very unlucky.”

On Bell, he added: “It was an outstanding innings, to score so freely in tough conditions. He’s in the form of his life, he’s confident and his technique is outstanding.”

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to recall the Warwickshire batsman after his controversial dismissal was applauded by the crowd, and Strauss said: “It was a very commendable decision, I think it was the right thing for the game but as captain they are difficult decisions to make.

“He set a great example to myself and other captains if we find ourselves in similar circumstances.”