At Lord’s, the 3rd Test is underway. When the toss was flipped, it went in England’s favour and they decided to bat. The Indian team came in charged with confidence, having defeated the mighty England earlier — but both teams were missing their star bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. Now, both have returned, and facing Jofra Archer is not going to be a bed of roses for India’s youngsters.
The pitch looked green, slightly slow and spongy, offering seam movement — thanks also to the Lord’s slope, which drops 2.5 meters. On Day 1, Nitish Kumar Reddy took early wickets, dismissing Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley with just 44 runs on the board, celebrating with fiery energy. The day ended at 251/4 in 83 overs, with Joe Root unbeaten on 99 and Ben Stokes appearing comfortable, though showing some groin discomfort by stumps.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant suffered a major finger injury and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel.
The next morning belonged to Jasprit Bumrah — explosive and unrelenting, he grabbed 5 wickets for 74 runs. England’s Joe Root and Ben Stokes both fell to the current king of bowling. England collapsed, losing 8 wickets for just 84 runs. However, a gritty partnership between Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse pushed England’s total to 387.
India’s Wall – Jersey No. 01, KL Rahul
India’s innings began with an early fall — Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed by a perfect delivery from Jofra Archer. KL Rahul and Karun Nair stitched a partnership of 61 runs, before Nair fell for 40, followed by Indian captain Shubman Gill for 16.
Day 3 saw a power-packed batting display. KL Rahul hit a classy century — 100 off 177 balls — his 2nd at Lord’s. He was supported by Rishabh Pant’s 74 and Ravindra Jadeja’s patient 72. India matched England’s 387, bringing the match level.
Tension at Lord’s
In England’s second innings, tension boiled over when their stalling tactics disturbed play. Indian skipper Shubman Gill lost his cool, stared down Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, and the crowd got heated. The Indian team sarcastically clapped at Crawley’s time-wasting tactics. A verbal spat broke out between Gill and Crawley but was de-escalated by KL Rahul.
Day 4 began with aggression — Mohammed Siraj’s charged celebration echoed around Lord’s after early breakthroughs. Washington Sundar was the star, claiming 4 for 22. England crumbled to 192, setting a target of 193 for India to chase.
The Final Innings: A Test of Nerves
India’s top-order collapsed: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, and Shubman Gill — gone. At 58/4, with 135 runs still needed, KL Rahul stood tall at 33*. The day ended with the dismissal of nightwatchman Akash Deep on the final delivery from Ben Stokes.
Day 5 brought more drama. The pitch had uneven bounce, becoming bowler-friendly. India’s collapse continued — Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar fell early. KL Rahul lost his wicket to Ben Stokes after a review. The Indian middle order faltered, echoing their previous struggles in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Jadeja formed a small partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy — a ray of hope for Indian fans. But an outswing delivery edged Reddy out. At 147/8, with 46 runs still needed, Jasprit Bumrah joined Jadeja.
What followed was a classic Test partnership. Bumrah defended fiercely, facing 54 balls for just 4 runs. Jadeja, on the other end, stood tall with 61 off 180 balls. The score reached 169/9. Just 23 runs remained.
Then, a twist. Siraj on strike, tried to defend a spinning ball — but it kissed the stumps. Bowled! India was all out for 170. An unbelievable finish to a gritty match.
England’s Win
Shoaib Bashir, despite an injured left hand, took the final wicket. The entire England team erupted in celebration. This match was a true Test — every run, every wicket, every player mattered.
England wins by 22 runs and takes a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
“A hard and tough win — but a win.”
