Aggression starts to pay dividends for Plunkett
Liam Plunkett stuck to his aggressive principles and reaped the rewards as England jockeyed a marginally advantageous position in the second Test against India at Lord’s on Saturday.
The all-rounder’s maiden Test 50 helped the hosts to 319 all out, and a lead of 24; then, after a second-wicket stand of 74 between Murali Vijay (59no) and Cheteshwar Pujara, he put himself on a Test hat-trick for the third time this summer.
As at Headingley last month, Yorkshire pace bowler Plunkett did not manage the three-in-three – in fact, he has never done so in his first-class career – but he induced a wobble of three wickets for five runs, before Vijay and Mahendra Singh Dhoni closed out day three on 169-4.