Late wickets leave second Test on a knife-edge

Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara produced a defensive masterclass to keep India alive but England still look in charge of the second Test after an enthralling fourth day's play at Lord's.

India were 6-181, a lead of 154, when bad light stopped play on Sunday with Rishabh Pant, their last recognised batsman, on 14 and Ishant Sharma on four.

Bad light intervened with 25 minutes remaining when England skipper Joe Root insisted he wanted to unwrap a fresh Dukes ball for his quick men rather than stick with his spin at both ends in fading light.

His opposite number, Virat Kohli, was getting increasingly animated on the away balcony as he gestured to the floodlights, and the umpires opted to lead the teams back to the pavilion and reconvene on Monday.

"I think the new ball is crucial for both teams," said England allrounder Moeen Ali.

"They've got Pant, who is dangerous, and we know what he can do but we also know what Jimmy Anderson can do with the new ball. We need four wickets and they need to get some runs.

"I think they're in a half-decent position - and I think we're in a good position. We're going into a great day."

India began their second innings on Sunday morning 27 runs behind and by the time they had erased that deficit, both in-form openers were back in the pavilion.

Mark Wood (3-40) drew first blood when he dismissed KL Rahul caught behind for five with a clever change of length.

His next over turned out to be an eventful one, which ended with Rohit Sharma being dismissed for 21.

Rohit dragged a chest-high ball from outside the off-stump and pulled it for an audacious six, but Wood had the last laugh in this duel.

The last ball of that over was a similar one and this time Rohit could not middle the ball, with Moeen taking a tumbling catch at deep square leg.

India needed Kohli to lead by example, just like Root whose unbeaten 180 was the bedrock of England's first-innings total of 391, but Sam Curran had other ideas.

Kohli played a couple of gorgeous drives in his 20 before the left-armer found the edge of the Indian captain's bat.

Pujara went into the match without a fifty in his last 10 innings and vice-captain Rahane has also been short of runs.

Known as accumulators in a line-up full of aggressive batsmen, both demonstrated their grit in a dogged 100-run partnership.

Pujara, who made 45, needed 35 balls to get off the mark but soaked up enough deliveries to blunt the English attack.

Rahane soldiered on at the other end, aided by a reprieve on 31 when Jonny Bairstow spilled a tough chance at point.

They kept England at bay for nearly 50 overs before Wood ended Pujara's 206-ball vigil with an unplayable delivery that the batsman could only deflect to slip.

Moeen dismissed Rahane for 61 and Ravindra Jadeja for three to expose India's tail.

There was a worry for England when Wood injured his right shoulder while fielding and had to have it heavily strapped.