England reach 157 for no loss at lunch on Day II

Birmingham, Aug 11 (PTI) England openers Alastair Cook
and skipper Andrew Strauss batted cautiously as home team
reached 157 for no loss against India at lunch on the second
day of the third cricket Test being played at Edgbaston.
Strauss (84 batting) and Cook (51 batting) carried on
from an overnight score of 84 for no loss to add 73 runs in
the opening session.
The England openers posted their first century
partnership this season as well as both scored their first
indvidual half centuries in the current series after a lean
trot of four innings.
England are now only 67 runs behind India's first innings
total of 224 all out.
The day's play began half an hour late because of early
showers and when five runs accrued from the opening over to
England openers, it appeared the hosts would press on the
pedal.
Instead, runs were difficult to come by and the bowling
was accurate though hardly penetrating. Indeed, Praveen Kumar
choked the score entirely and at one stage had bowled four
maiden overs at a stretch.
When the first drinks interval arrived after 45 minutes,
England had added only 21 runs from 15 overs to their
overnight score of 84.
England openers, with the world of time at their
disposal, were in no hurry to force the issue. Praveen indeed
had quite extraordinary figures from the morning session and
bowled his seven overs for just two runs with five of them
being maidens.
The first four off the bat came after 15 overs when
Andrew Strauss threw his hands at a wide Ishant Sharma
delivery and the ball scurried past the slip cordon to hit the
pickets.
The next delivery was more authoritatively driven past
cover for a similar result. Sreesanth replaced Praveen from
the pavilion end and induced an edge from Strauss but the ball
dissected the slip cordon perfectly to rush to boundary.
Cook did likewise against Ishant from the other end and
suddenly runs were beginning to come with a lot more ease.
Cook moved within a shot to his half century when he
thrashed Sreesanth through the covers. England were 135 for no
loss from 43 overs when leg-spinner Mishra was introduced for
the first time this morning.
Strauss moved into the 80s when he flicked a Sreesanth
delivery down to fine leg. Cook reached half century in the
same over when he timed a shot past the square leg fence.
He batted for 130 balls and 194 minutes and hit seven
fours. It also put 150 runs on the board. Strauss, now in his
element, thrust a low full toss from Mishra past the midwicket
fence.
England, at lunch, had scored 73 runs from the morning
session of 90 minutes and 22 overs.