India vs England: Murali Vijay's 95, Worth a Century at Lord's

Indian opener Murali Vijay kept his purple patch going and came agonisingly close to putting his name on the Lord's honours board on a gloomy Day 4 of the second Test vs England. Vijay's 247-ball knock of 95 included 11 boundaries.

Vijay negotiated the first hour or so when the ball was doing a bit off the wicket for the England pacers, but was dismissed for 95, not before laying an excellent platform for Ravindra Jadeja (68) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52). The duo put on a crucial stand of 99 runs for the eighth wicket and propelled India to 342, setting a target of 319 for the hosts with a little over five sessions to go in the game. ('My Batting has Helped my Bowling')

Resuming on an overnight score of 59, Vijay began on nervy note. His first two boundaries came courtesy of thick outside edges running down to the third man fence before Liam Plunkett offered a length delivery that was handsomely driven straight down the ground. (England Cricketers Spooked Out, Claim Team Hotel at London Haunted)

Both Vijay and Dhoni displayed a patient approach on a tricky Sunday morning, Vijay looking the more convincing of the two. He left any ball that was even marginally outside the off-stump and latched on to the few over-pitched deliveries and timed them well.

After taking India past 200 in the second innings, the Vijay-Dhoni stand of 79 runs for the fifth wicket was broken and Stuart Binny returned to the pavilion in the space of just 10 balls to leave India six down. Vijay found an ally in Jadeja and began to build another partnership to keep India afloat. Just when he was looking set to notch up his second ton in four innings, Vijay was caught behind off James Anderson and walked back to a standing ovation.