3rd Test: England Edge Closer to 2-1 Series Lead as India Crumble to 112/8 at Lunch on Day 5
England moved within touching distance of a 2-1 series lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after reducing India to 112/8 at lunch on Day Five of the third Test at Lord’s.
London: England moved within touching distance of a 2-1 series lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after reducing India to 112/8 at lunch on Day Five of the third Test at Lord’s. Spearheaded by Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, and Chris Woakes, England’s bowlers dismantled India’s middle and lower order in a gripping morning session under overcast skies.
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India Falter Chasing 135 on Final Day
India began the day at 58/4, needing 135 runs for victory. However, they quickly ran into trouble as Archer and Stokes removed key batters including KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.
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Pant tried to play aggressively, hitting Archer for a boundary despite clearly struggling with his injured hand. But Archer had the last laugh, straightening one past the left-hander’s outside edge to knock over the off stump and dismiss Pant for 9.
Stokes and Archer Shine with Early Strikes
Ben Stokes then produced another moment of magic by trapping KL Rahul LBW for 39 with a ball that nipped back sharply. Though the on-field umpire ruled it not out, a successful DRS review turned the tide further in England’s favor.
Archer followed up with a stunning one-handed catch in his follow-through to send Washington Sundar back for a four-ball duck, reducing India to 82/7.
Jadeja and Reddy Show Resilience Before Woakes Strikes
From that point, Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy put together a stubborn 30-run stand, fighting hard to push India past the 100-run mark. Despite a brief collision with Brydon Carse, Jadeja carried on, while Reddy brought up India’s first boundary in 80 balls.
But just before the lunch break, Woakes delivered a crucial breakthrough by extracting Reddy’s outside edge with a short ball. Jamie Smith took a regulation catch behind the stumps, ending India’s last notable resistance and leaving England just two wickets away from victory.
Brief Scores – Day 5, Lunch
England: 387 & 192
India: 387 & 112/8 in 39.3 overs
- KL Rahul 39, Ravindra Jadeja 17*
- Jofra Archer 3/41, Brydon Carse 2/21, Chris Woakes 1/14
England lead by 81 runs.
What’s Next?
With only two Indian wickets remaining, England are poised to seal the match and take a 2-1 lead in the high-stakes five-match series. Post-lunch play will likely decide whether India can pull off a miraculous stand or if England will wrap up the win quickly at Lord’s.
