England have beaten India by 319 runs at Trent Bridge to take a 2-0 lead in four-Test series and edge closer to usurping the tourists as the world’s No1 Test side.
Tim Bresnan, who was overlooked for the first Test, starred for England, beginning the day with some lusty batting as England stretched their lead, before claiming 5-48 as India collapsed.
In the morning session, Bresnan was dismissed for 90, just short of his maiden Test century, and England were all out for 544, setting India an improbably chase of 478 for victory.
Before lunch England saw the back of Rahul Dravid, who made 117 in India’s first innings, for just six when he was caught behind off a lifting delivery from Stuart Broad.
And after the interval VVS Laxman was clean bowled by a superb James Anderson delivery for four.
Opener Abhinav Mukund, dropped first ball, struggled to three off 41 balls before falling to Bresnan’s fifth ball, a bouncer that he gloved to England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip.
And Bresnan succeeded with the short ball again when Suresh Raina miscued a hook straight to substitute Scott Elstone at long leg.
Tendulkar had struck some typically sublime straight drives off Anderson but he could only look on helplessly as Bresnan struck twice in two balls.
First Yuvraj Singh, already hit a painful blow on the glove by Bresnan, gloved another rising delivery to Alastair Cook in the unusual position of backward silly point and was out for eight.
Next ball India captain MS Dhoni, inexplicably playing no shot, was lbw for a golden duck to leave the tourists 55 for six and Bresnan on a hat-trick at the start of his next over.
Harbhajan survived the hat-trick with a cover-driven four but it was scant consolation for India. Tendulkar was trapped lbw by Anderson and the Indian tail offered token resistance before succumbing to the inevitable.
The third Test begins in Birmingham next week and England will fancy their chances of sealing the series and the world’s No 1 ranking.
