5 talking points from England vs India day four as Root’s side edge second Test

The fourth day of England 's second Test against India at Lord's ended with India leading by 154 runs.

England started the day with a 27-run lead, largely thanks to Joe Root 's magnificent 180 not out.

And they were able to capitalise on that lead, with Mark Wood getting both of India's openers out early.

Sam Curran then removed Virat Kohli just before lunch to put England right on top.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane then battled hard, with both players currently in a poor run of form, and added 100 runs for the fourth wicket before Pujara was bounced out by Wood and Rahane dismissed by Moeen Ali.

Ali then bowled Ravindra Jadeja with an absolute beauty, before bad light brought play to a premature end with India 181-6.

Here are five talking points from the day's play.

England's early breakthroughs

India's openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have been by far their best batsmen during this series and it was imperative that England removed them cheaply.

And England were able to do just that, with Wood making the all-important breakthroughs.

Rahul was caught behind off a 93mph delivery and Sharma was then caught excellently at deep square leg by Moeen Ali.

When Sharma was dismissed, India were 27-2 and had only just restored parity after England's slender first-innings lead.

Speaking on BBC Test Match Special before the start of day four, former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta explained just how important India's openers would be in their second innings.

"If they lose a couple of early wickets – so far it has been KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja who have scored most of the runs – they are under pressure. The middle order is struggling and they have a long tail."

Wood at his best

Ollie Robinson once again opened the bowling alongside James Anderson, but he was taken out of the attack after just two overs and replaced by Wood.

Wood is playing his first Test match in over two months and had only bowled 25 overs since then.

As a result, the Durham quick was not quite at his best in India's first innings, taking 2-91.

In India's second innings, though, Wood quickly made an impact and removed both of India's openers, before coming back with the old ball to break Pujara and Rahane's partnership.

Having used his express pace to dismiss Rahul and his bouncer to get Sharma and Pujara, it was great to see Wood using his two most potent weapons to great effect.

Curran "makes things happen"

It has become something of a cliche to say that Curran makes things happen but it is an apt one.

The 23-year-old's numbers do not make for stunning reading, with Curran yet to take a five wicket haul and averaging 26.66 with the bat and 33.81 with the ball.

However, Curran's ability to contribute important runs down the order and important wickets with the ball mean he will continue to play an important role for England's Test team moving forward.

Curran was not at his best with the ball in India's first innings, failing to pick up a single wicket, and he was dismissed for a golden duck when it came time for him to bat.

However, Curran certainly made an impact on day four, getting the prize wicket of Kohli for just 20.

Speaking on Sky Sports, former West Indies bowler Michael Holding said: "Curran, we keep on saying, he makes things happen!

"He is not someone who is going to go out there and take five or six wickets on a regular basis but he just does that little thing every now and again."

Kohli vs Anderson

Kohli and Anderson have had some intense battles over the years and the pair were involved in a heated exchange on day four, with an x-rated outburst from Kohli picked up by the stump mic.

With Anderson bowling to Pujara and Kohli at the non-strikers end, the India captain could be heard using the word "f***ing" and telling Anderson that "this isn't your backyard".

Responding on Twitter, Stuart Broad wrote: "The Lord’s honours board suggests it’s as close to Jimmy’s backyard as Jimmy’s actual backyard. Love the fire but that language will have him in trouble".

Pujara and Rahane's battles

Both Pujara and Rahane have been in poor form this year, with Pujara averaging 25.09 and Rahane 25.76.

There were question marks hanging over their place in the side, with India largely relying on their openers to score the majority of their runs in this series.

Once England had removed India's openers and their captain, Pujara and Rahane dug in and shared an important 100-run partnership.

Pujara was eventually dismissed for 45 and Rahane for 61 and, although they struggled at times, they made some hugely important runs both in the context of the game and their own Test futures.

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