LONDON, July 20: Shanthakumaran Sreesanth ripped through the tail with a hat-trick of lbws as England collapsed on the second day of the first Test at Lord’s here on Friday. But India then lost a couple of cheap early wickets and at tea were 36 for two after bowling out England, who were 218-1 at one stage, for 298.

Wasim Jaffer, dropped on nought by diving wicket-keeper Matt Prior off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom when the ball looked to be heading towards first slip Andrew Strauss, was 21 not out.

Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on four after Dinesh Karthik was lbw to Sidebottom and India captain Rahul Dravid, one of the world’s best batsmen, was caught behind for two off James Anderson, the senior seamer in an inexperienced attack missing the injured Stephen Harmison and Andrew Flintoff.

Sreesanth, in his first Test in England and only the ninth of his career, took three wickets for four runs in 14 balls to finish with admirable figures of three for 67 in 22 overs after a wayward start.

In all, England’s last nine wickets went down for 80 runs in under 28 overs.

They resumed on their overnight score of 268 for four. Kevin Pietersen was 34 not out and nightwatchman Sidebottom unbeaten on nought.

Sidebottom did not last long, clean bowled by left-armer Rudra Pratap Singh for one with the second delivery with the new ball. Then Pietersen, on 37, edged left-arm quick Zaheer Khan and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni claimed a low catch. He was already walking back towards the pavilion when Australian umpire Simon Taufel raised the finger.

But Pietersen stopped when beckoned to stay by his team-mates, replays suggesting the ball had bounced just in front of Dhoni. The umpires, who are allowed to change their mind while the batsman is still on the field, referred the decision to the third umpire Ian Gould who gave Pietersen not out.

But Pietersen, still on the same score, was out having faced just two more balls when he edged another swinging full-length Zaheer delivery to give Dhoni a simple waist-high catch over which there was no doubt.

Ian Bell got off the mark first ball with an elegant off-driven four against Singh and later hooked Sreesanth for six.

However, wickets kept falling at the other end. Prior was plumb lbw to Sreesanth for one and three balls later debutant pace bowler Chris Tremlett went in similar fashion as his Test batting career began with a nought.

Monty Panesar completed the 24-year-old Sreesanth’s treble, the left-hander becoming the third duck of the innings when missing a delivery that swung back into him and which would have hit middle stump.

Prior’s low score exposed England’s lengthy tail but it was Bell who was last out, for 20, playing on to Zaheer who finished with two for 62 in 18.2 overs.

Singh, the other member of India’s pace trio, chipped in with two for 58 in 17 after opener Strauss (96) and England captain Michael Vaughan (79) had laid the foundation for a big total in what was the first of a three-Test series.

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