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| @Joe Root after completing his half century vs India in 3rd test 2025 |
Toss & Team Line-ups
- The toss was won by England captain Ben Stokes on a midsumners afternoon at Lord s, who decided to bat first with the hope of a pitch that had a hint of grass and the gradient to help the swing bowlers in the early periods
- India only made one alteration as they sent in Jasprit Bumrah in place of Prasidh Krishna whereas England also made one change as they included Jofra Archer in place of Josh Tongue
Early Overs & New Ball Control of India
- Jasprit Bumrah opened the bowling at the Nursery End where he bowled testing outswingers and inswingers. He was especially keen to Ben Duckett, and he thrashed him with a very nimble step
- The other end accepted a new ball by Akash Deep. He got an early advantage, bowling two maidens in a row, and putting Zak Crawley under pressure
Nitish Reddy Double Blow:
- Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a statement of his own in his first over, dismissing both openers in rapid succession:
- Ben Duckett was lbw.
- In an effort to poke, Zak Crawley provided a catch that was ruled out
- That magical spell saw England change the score board to 39/0 to 44/2 in the first 6 balls- the ideal start India could ask.
Middle Order Consolidation
- Then, the midfield pairing of Ollie Pope and Joe Root saw through the storm, taking their time with the strike, and nudging into the 50-run mark
- Following the initial breakthroughs, the session closed with England at approximately 83/2 at Lunch, all square and leaving both teams with something to go to work on.
Session 2 (Afternoon, ~5:35 pm IST -Tea)
Bowlers of India Test the Batters
- Mohammed Siraj came in the second spell after the meal, delivering maiden overs and consistent threat
- Jasprit Bumrah came back to exert more pressure and beat Pope and Root regularly with disciplined lines .
- The partnership of the two batsmen, Root and Pope, exceeded the 70- run mark, and the scoreboard continued to be driven with a steady pace of ~2.9 RPO - a slow pace that we seldom see in this so-called Bazball era
- Root shared the innings, coming to his 67th Test fifty off 102 balls.
- Rishabh Pant got hit on his left index finger in the process of keeping. The effects made it uncomfortable to continue and Ibuprofen and icing were done. Dhruv Jurel was brought in as a replacement keeper as a doubt was cast over the fitness of Pant
- The wound was not considered to be critical; the chipped Finger nail did not seem dangerous; Pant resumed after receiving treatment .
- At tea England stood 153/2, Pope and Root not out. India kept on looking at additional breakthroughs through spin
The First Wicket of Jadeja
- Immediately in the first over after the tea, Ravindra Jadeja reversed the flow. He caused an edge of Ollie Pope on the very first ball and Dhruv Jurel took a sharp catch behind the stumps
- The strike broke the steady 60+ run Root-Pope partnership, and gave India an upper hand once again
- Soon, Jasprit Bumrah took his first wicket of the game Harry Brook was caught behind with only eleven runs. The fifth-wicket dismissal was a terrific one and was bowled by off stump which hit the top of the off bail
- The unbeaten pair of Joe Root (nearing century) and Ben Stokes defied once again. Root scored close to a ton, whereas Stokes scored freely in the high 30s
- England took the new ball late in the session, and the batting pair managed to see out the day at 251/4 at stumps (with Root on 96*, Stokes on 39*)
Major Facts & Highlights
Category Details
England innings at stumps 251/4 (83.0 overs)
Partnerships Root-Pope: 109 runs; Root-Stokes: ~ 50+ runs
India bowlers Nitish Reddy 2/46, Bumrah 1/35, Jadeja 1/26
Top Batting Figures Joe Root 99*, Ben Stokes 39*
Weather and conditions Warm sunny day; grassy wicket helping swing.
Refreshments & delays Lunch & Tea on time minor delays from Pant injury & Flying ants
Standout Player Games & Notes
- Nitish Kumar Reddy made his presence felt on the Test arena with a blistering two-fer, and that marked the depth of Indian seam bowling.
- Jasprit Bumrah, as he always does, with his discipline, was rewarded, as he broke up partnerships and generated movement.
- On his first ball after tea Ravindra Jadeja took a statement with the prize wicket of Pope.
- The 99* of Joe Root was classical Test match temperament, he ground through 187 balls and batted fluently.
- Despite his lack of form at his aggressive best, Ben Stokes stabilized the innings in a very crucial manner.
- Rishabh Pant finger scare had the fans alarmed but that was a minor injury and he was available
- Quick Strikes by Nitish: The initial hour shock attack was able to rattle the English top order and they never managed to get settled.
- Build-up of the Middle Order: Although Root and Pope lost their wickets early, they reconstructed wisely to leave England afloat.
- Spin Introduced at the Right Time: Jadeja was introduced following tea and his introduction bore fruits and caused mini-collapse.
- New Ball Use: England waited until later in the day to take the new ball, and it was a good idea since they tried to defend their set batters and it worked as Root and Stokes finished the day without any issues.
- England was riding on the back of taking the opening game of the series but India had recovered in the second test and this one was being played on a competitive note .
- As the series is tightly poised and the results at Headingley and Edgbaston are still fresh in mind, both teams are in the process of gaining psychological advantage
- The Lord slope which had long been an element in swing bowling was also well exploited by India in the early years.
Looking Forward (Day 2)
- Early Overs: India are likely to come back at the new ball, and will attack Root in his century as well as look to Stokes shortly after.
- England's Damage Control: A century by Root would give a huge mental boost. Stokes will have to back him up and attempt to take the innings beyond the 300 325 mark.
- The Role of Pant: His finger needs to be completely healed so that the wicket-keeping of India does not go blunt, particularly with Spin and reverse-swing in the offing.
- Bowling Schemes: India is likely to continue to use Bumrah, Siraj, and Reddy early in the morning, and Jadeja and Sundar will take care of the spin.
The first day at Lord was like a roller-coaster: the initial gains by India set the tone but the response by Root and Stokes were determined. Finishing at 251/4, England are in the position of having gained control but still short of a big total by 50-100. With a good bowling India are in a good position to take early wickets on the second day.
Brief Scores: England 251/4 (Joe Root 99*, Ollie Pope 44; Nitish Reddy 2-46) vs India.