England upped the ante against India at Lord’s, following their thrilling win in the first Test with an innings trouncing of the tourists this time.

Here, Press Association Sport draws its conclusions:

England can beat India without Stokes

As understudies go, Chris Woakes was off the scale at Lord’s. In his three Tests there, after his brilliant maiden hundred on Saturday, he averages 130.50. With the ball, Woakes’ 18 wickets at HQ have cost barely 10 each. They are astounding figures, and mean England can afford to plan for the third Test in Nottingham without worrying unduly about the availability of Ben Stokes. It will be surprising, whatever the outcome of their premier all-rounder’s affray trial this week, if Stokes is playing again next weekend. Woakes has filled the gap – and with a 2-0 lead, England do not need to rush into another contingency.

Home advantage out of control

England v India – SpecsaversSecond Test – Day Four – Lord’s (Adam Davy/PA)
James Anderson ran riot with match figures of nine for 43 as England’s bowlers dominated at Lord’s (Adam Davy/PA)

World cricket is wrestling with a problem which appears never more acute than when England face India of late. Alastair Cook’s world number ones did battle back for a memorable series win away in 2012, but that brilliant performance was a major outlier. Either side of it, at home in 2011 and 2014 England won the Pataudi Trophy 4-0 and 3-1 – and then lost 4-0 in India two winters ago. After a wonderfully engrossing first Test this summer, England’s 1,000th, another series appears to be heading in a very predictable direction as the home seamers take charge – and India’s batsmen keep edging or missing the moving ball.

Virat Kohli is fallible

England v India – Specsavers Second Test – Day Four – Lord’s (Adam Davy/PA)
India’s Virat Kohli gets treatment for a bad back at Lord’s (Adam Davy/PA)

India’s captain bucked the trend to keep it highly competitive at Edgbaston. Without his 200 runs out of a team aggregate 436, England would have dominated there too – with a top score of 31 around him across two innings. He could not do it a second time, though, as Woakes and then Stuart Broad had too much for him. It was left to number eight Ravi Ashwin to top-score in both innings, with 29 and 33 not out. Kohli ended the match with back trouble too. He expects to be fit to try again at Trent Bridge – James Anderson’s favourite ground.

TFC

England Nets Session – Lord’s (Tim Goode/PA)
Adil Rashid had little to do at Lord’s (Tim Goode/PA)

Such was the success of England’s seamers in perfect conditions under cloud cover, Joe Root did not need to use his Yorkshire team-mate Adil Rashid’s leg-spin at all. Asked to reflect afterwards on Rashid’s quiet Test – he did not have to bat either, in England’s only innings – the England captain trotted out the ‘Thanks for Coming’ line. After Rashid’s controversial Test recall for this series, he has so far been a bit-part player as the heatwave has relaxed its hold and seam and swing have ruled. England know, though, that Rashid’s time is almost certainly yet to come over the next month.

Kumar absence is key

Of all the players India could miss most in English conditions, Bhuvneshwar Kumar perhaps stands alone – above even, arguably, their captain. While Kohli was averaging 13.4 with the bat on India’s last Test trip here, Kumar was taking 19 wickets at 26.63. He took six for 82 in the first innings of their Lord’s victory, then conceded only 21 runs in 16 overs second time round while Ishant Sharma weighed in with a man-of-the-match seven for 74 in a 95-run win. How India missed Kumar on their return. A lower back problem struck him down in their white-ball campaign, and there is no indication yet when he will be fit again. With Kumar, India can return fire on Anderson et al; without him, even if Jasprit Bumrah is back soon from his broken thumb, they do not appear to have the right bowling personnel.