Third Rothesay Test, Lord’s (Day 5 of 5)

England 1^st Innings, 387 ao off 112.3ov, Root 104 off 199, 10 fours, Pope 44 off 104, 4 fours, Stokes 44 off 110, 4 fours, Smith 51 off 56, 56 fours, Carse 56 off 83, 6 fours, 1 six, Siraj 2-85, Nitish 2-62, Jadeja 1-29, Bumrah 5-74.

India 1^st Innings 387 ao off 119.2 ov, Rahul 100 off 177, 13 fours, Nair 40 off 62, 4 fours, Pant 74 offf 112, 8 fours and 2 sixes, Jadeja 72 off 131, 8 fours, 1 six, Woakes 3-84, Archer 2-52, Stokes 2-63, Carse 1-88, Bashir 1-59.

England 2^nd Innings 192 ao off 62.1 ov, Crawley 22 off 49, 3 fours, Root 40 off 96, 1 four, Stokes 33 off 96, 3 fours, Washington 4-22, Bumrah 2-38, Siraj 2-31, Nitish 1-20, Deep 1-30

India 2^nd Innings 170 ao off 74.5 ov, Rahul 39 off 58, 6 fours, Jadeja 61 off 181, 4 fours, 1 six, Woakes 1-21, Archer 3-55, Stokes 3-55, Carse 2-30, Bashir 1-6.

England win by 22 runs.

England captain Ben Stokes leads from the front after praising his side’s resilience in achieving a narrow 22-run victory on the final day of the Third Test against India at Lords to take 2-1 lead in the five-match series. He said “It was just bizarre. We have seen that when the ball was a bit harder and a bit newer, a lot more was happening. It was a game of cat and mouse. I had to stay very true and very firm with myself and how I thought we would win this game. If it was going to take 80 overs of singles. That’s what I was going to do. Day five, Test match on the line- I have got some history of turning up in moments like that with the ball. I was pretty pumped. I think a bit of niggle out in the middle gets over-egged from people watching. A massive series, emotions are going. All 22 are playing for their country. I don’t think anyone in the India dressing room or England dressing room is going to be complaining about what was said. We are out there putting our bodies on the line. It was always going to happen eventually. I’m all for it. I don’t think it went over the line whatsoever, It adds to the theatre. ”

Joe Root’s masterful century held together England at second day of the third Test against India at Lord’s, on a slow, dry pitch that looks to turn and grown uneven as the match progresses. England who curbed their attacking instincts in crawl of just three runs an over on the first and second day reaching 387 all out.

India’s reply held together by KL Rahul who scored 100 runs to enable India also to r4each 387 ao.

England’s second Innings score of 192 all out off 62.1 ov, Crawley 22 off 49, 3 fours, Root 40 off 96, 1 four, Stokes 33 off 96, 3 fours. But India conceded extra runs  and became decisive factor in this game.

Chasing 193, India were 112-8 when Jadeja (72) was joined by number 10 Jasper Bumrah, and held up England for almost 22 overs before Stokes who bowled tirelessly from the Nursery End, drew Bumrah into a pull to mid-on. Bumrah’s contribution to a stand of 35 was five from 54 balls.  Jadeja resisted, this time with last man Mohammed Siraj. Stokes refused to stop bowling. A delayed Tea  was taken with 30 required for India. Injured Shoaib Bashir who has injured his finger on his non-bowling hand,  was summoned after the break, and incredibly got Siraj to defend the ball into the ground and back on to his stumps. Archer ripped Rishbah Pant’s off stump out of the ground, Stokes had KL Rahul lbw on review for 39, Washington Sundar was sensationally held by Archer’s agile swoop in his follow thorugh. Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy batted for 15 overs, then Bumrah. Jadeja and Brydon Carse had to be separated after an accidental collision while Jadeja was running between the wickets. England who thought they had Jadeja until he overturned being given lbw to Chris Woakes on 26. Stokes after a spell of 9.2 overs  in the morning, and again launched into another of 10 up to tea. 

The fourth Test at Old Trafford starts on Wednesday 23 July. It’ll be interesting to see what England do with Archer, whether the likes of Carse and Woakes will get a rest too.