India stretch lead to 367 at lunch By Amlan Chakraborty

Mohali, Dec 23 (PTI) Overnight batsmen Gautam Gambhir and
Yuvraj Singh completed individual fifties as India went into
lunch at 216 for four in their second essay on the last day of
the second and final cricket Test against England here
Tuesday.

Gambhir (80) and Yuvraj (79) were in the middle at lunch
as India went into the break with a 367-run overall lead.
Gambhir's unbeaten 297-minute patient knock, during which he
faces 193 balls, included six fours.

Yuvraj scored almost at run-a-ball rate and his unbeaten
80-ball 79 was studded with four sixes and six fours.

It seemed India would not go out of the way to press for
a win as both the overnight batsmen adopted a cautious
approach and by the time of lunch, they stepped on gas. They
attacked the English bowlers, trying to score the maximum runs
before setting England on a chase.

Earlier, the thick fog that became a ritual in the match
once again threw the schedule in complete disarray and play
finally got underway at 1130 hrs with a one hour morning
session.

The first boundary came in the fifth over of the day when
Yuvraj slog-swept Graeme Swann and a single in the same over
brought up the left-hander’s fifty.

Though overtaken by Yuvraj, Gambhir too reached his fifty
with a single off Stuart Broad and the celebration came in the
form of a four off Anderson.

It turned out to be a memorable match for the Delhi
left-hander, who had scored 179 in the first innings.

At the other end, Yuvraj hit Broad for back-to-back sixes
to refresh the memories of the Twenty20 World Cup in which he
had hit the lanky seamer for six sixes in an over.

Broad, however, escaped the trauma this time even though
the over cost him 15 runs.

Play was held up for a couple of minutes when Yuvraj’s
reverse sweep hit Matt Prior on the collar bone and the
England stumper needed medical attention before resuming duty
behind the stumps. PTI AY
RKM
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