England’s tireless efforts left the third Test against India hanging in the balance after three days at Lord’s. The home side took the last four India wickets for 11 runs, dismissing the tourists for 387 and leveling the scores on first innings.
The day saw a mix of brilliance and drama, with flashes of excellent batting from KL Rahul (100) and Rishabh Pant (74), as well as outstanding performances from England’s Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. The wickets of India’s Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy were crucial, setting up England to surge past the tourists.
However, England’s captain Ben Stokes missed three opportunities to run out Reddy earlier in the day, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir drew Rahul into an edge that went down. The wicket of Jadeja owed much to a diving catch by Jamie Smith behind the stumps.
The Test has been characterized by slow scoring and a slow over-rate, but England’s efforts have ensured it remains alive. Now, the home side must weigh up the time needed to bowl out India in the second innings against their ability to set a target.
India’s batters continue to torment England with totals exceeding 350 for five consecutive matches, putting the tourists in a strong position going into Sunday’s final day. The stage is set for another intense battle between two teams vying for control of this thrilling Test series.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c4gd6mze1yyo