Brutal Broad is the catalyst as England demolish India at Lord's

SAM MORSHEAD AT LORD'S: This was peak Broad. High-octane, thrill-a-minute, hand-over-the-mouth fantastic. It had everything: Searing movement, real speed, celebrappeals and flurries of wickets that make a fool of those who quickly pop to the bar

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England romped to victory over India at Lord's

Lord's (fourth day of five): England 396-7, India 107 & 130 - England won by an innings & 159 runs

Stuart Broad manhandled India’s hapless batsmen as England wrapped up a comfortable and barely competitive innings victory through the rain at Lord’s.

In a burst of bristling, bullish, bruising brilliance, Broad thundered through the tourists’ line-up, leaving some of the world’s very best batsmen in his wake on the way to second-innings figures of 4-44 in 16 overs.

The visitors might not have excelled themselves, once again their lack of preparation against the Dukes ball in England horribly exposed, but that should not distract from an exhilarating display of fizzing seam bowling from the man who now sits 10th in the all-time Test wicket-taking charts.

This was peak Broad. High-octane, thrill-a-minute, hand-over-the-mouth fantastic. It had everything: Searing movement off the seam, lines and lengths that kept the batsmen speculating, real speed, celebrappeals and a flurry of wickets that made a fool of those who fancied ‘a quick trip to the bar’.

After Jimmy Anderson had dismissed both openers cheaply for the second time in the match - moving to 101 Test wickets at Lord’s in the process, only the second player to have achieved a century at a single venue - Broad turned destroyer-in-chief.

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Stuart Broad celebrates the dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik all found Broad’s second spell of the innings - seven overs which went for just seven runs - far too much to deal with.

This was England’s veteran at his irresistible, irrepressible best. For England supporters inside the ground, it was terrific entertainment.

Though it can be of scant consolation to India fans, it’s entirely likely that had Broad and his old mucker Anderson been bowling at their own top order this grey August afternoon, a very similar story would have played out.

But it was India who were on the receiving end and this series, which heading into the final day at Edgbaston appeared so delicately balanced, is already all-but over.

Earlier, the English batsmen did little to appease those who felt that batting on seemed a tad unnecessary with a lead in excess of 250, while Anderson sat rested in the hutch, rain hung ominously in nearby clouds and the Dukes ball continued its merry dance out in the middle.

Woakes and Sam Curran struggled to settle, as India’s pace attack found plenty of movement in the air and off the pitch, and there was an air of a false start about proceedings.

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Joe Root calls time on England's innings

Eventually, there came a show of intent from England via Curran, who opened his feet to carve a very-near yorker from Mohammed Shami through point for four before no-look slapping the same bowler for an astonishing six over square leg.

Once the Surrey allrounder was gone for a sparky 40, however, Root had seen enough. England, 289 runs in front, called their innings closed on 396 for seven.

And so to Anderson.

While the hairstyles have chopped and changed like a barbery model down the years since his debut, the seamer’s performances at this famous old venue have rarely differed.

Again, just as he did in the Indians’ first innings and just as he has in most of his 22 other Test appearances for his country at HQ, Anderson immediately caused the opposition problems.

Dragging his length back slightly, presenting a perfect seam position and keeping the batsmen guessing with a pick ‘n’ mix of in and outswingers, he claimed his 100th Test wicket at Lord’s with a delivery which jagged back in, tickled the inside edge of Murali Vijay’s bat and landed with a comforting thud in the gloves of Jonny Bairstow.

Only one other man has been as prolific at a single venue in Tests - Muttiah Muralitharan reached a century of wickets at Colombo, Kandy and Galle. In these conditions, Anderson is pretty much unplayable.

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Jimmy Anderson acknowledges the crowd after reaching 100 Test wickets at Lord's

And so he continued here.

KL Rahul was next to go, like his opening partner dismissed by England’s talisman for the second time in the match, trapped on the crease by an inswinger.

A rain break came to India’s aid but once back in the middle, the home side quickly rediscovered their ascendancy. Broad, swapping the Nursery End for the pleasure of the Pavilion End slope, cranked up the intensity and caught Rahane’s edge as he attempted an off drive. Keaton Jennings took the chance smartly at third slip.

Pujara lost his off stump to a howling inducker and then, in the space of two balls, Broad removed Kohli, caught at short leg, and the hapless Dinesh Karthik, plumb lbw.

Hardik Pandya and Ravi Ashwin provided some brief sense of resistance but once Woakes returned to be rid of the former, lbw on review, the end was in sight.

Kuldeep Yadav’s nightmare introduction to Test cricket ended with his stumps knocked all over the place by Jimmy Anderson, Mohammed Shami was plumb lbw trying to hit Anderson to Baker Street and Woakes wrapped it all up by having Ishant Sharma caught at leg slip by Pope.

For India, the one saving grace might have been that it was over so quickly it may not have hurt at all.

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