Nottingham: Rahul Dravid cracked his second consecutive century before Stuart Broad’s hat-trick triggered a dramatic collapse to restrict India’s lead to 67 runs on the second day of the second cricket Test against England here on Saturday.
The veteran Dravid (117) notched up his 34th century to equalled Sunil Gavaskar’s record but India lost six wickets for a mere 21 runs to allow the hosts come back into the game on a Trent Bridge track which provided assistance to quick bowlers.
Broad, who has been tormenting the Indians in the series, claimed the wickets of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (5), Harbhajan Singh (0) and Praveen Kumar (0) to record a hat-trick in front of his home crowd and change the complexion of the game at the fag end of the eventful second day.
Harbhajan’s LBW decision was though a howler from field umpire Marais Erasmus as the ball clearly got the edge from his bat before hitting the pads.
The visitors, trailing the four-match series 0-1, were comfortably placed at 267 for four at one stage before Broad’s career best 6/46 wrecked havoc to the Indian innings.
India could manage a first innings lead of just 67 runs though at one point of time they looked like taking a sizeable lead.
Dravid anchored the Indian innings brilliantly in difficult batting conditions while Yuvraj Singh (62) and VVS Laxamn (54) were the other notable contributors.
England were 24 for one at the close of play, still trailing by 43 runs with nine second innings wickets in hand.
Captain Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell were batting on six and nine respectively at the draw of stumps.
Ishant Sharma claimed Alistair Cook (5) at the slip cordon and Ian Bell came in at one down as regular number three Jonathan Trott appeared to have hurt his right shoulder while tumbling to stop a shot from Dravid in the afternoon session and did not come out to bat.
There was every reason for Dravid to be crestfallen as his 34th Test century, the sixth against England and the third in last five Tests, had England on the ropes, no less because he shared two big stands for 93 runs with Laxman and 128 with Yuvraj for the second and fifth wickets respectively.
But Broad laid it to waste, claiming Dhoni, Harbhajan and Praveen off successive balls in his 23rd over, the eighth with the second new ball.
Dhoni was dismissed when he drove at a widish delivery, more in hope than with conviction and was caught in the slip cordon for five to trigger the dramatic Indian collapse.
Broad thus became the 12th England bowler to claim a hat-trick, this being the 39th such instance in the history of Test cricket.
Before the hat-trick, Broad had dismissed Yuvraj via a catch to wicketkeeper for 62 — an innings of 115 balls and containing 10 fours — to bring to a close a frustrating fifth wicket stand for England.
The fall of quick four wickets at the other end clearly rattled Dravid who wildly cut at Tim Bresnan delivery to be caught at third man for 117 runs, after grinding hard for 370 minutes and 235 balls and hitting 15 fours.
Ishant and Sreesanth chanced their arms for a few deliveries before the latter was caught at forward short leg off Broad who now has 13 wickets from the series from three innings so far.
But for this dramatic final three quarter of an hour, India’s batting was on a redemption mission as only three wickets had been lost in nearly four and half hours of resolute batting.
Dravid was the implacable rock in this revival, being not out on 44 and 83 at lunch and tea break, before raising his hundred in the final session with a sweep of Graeme Swann which went for four. (PTI)