Root closes in on century as watchful England dig in

Unbeaten 99 settles hosts after Kumar Reddy dismisses both openers in bright India start

- Ali Martin

England opted not to train on Tuesday, but Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum still made a beeline for Lord's. Two days out from the third Test – a pivotal match with the series locked at one apiece – they were keen to speak to the groundstaff to express their hopes for a pitch with pace, bounce, and a bit of sideways movement.

It was too late to be making demands, and like the disappointed customers of Mr Tourette, signwriter extraordinaire from the Modern Toss cartoons, England's captain and head coach had to settle for a slow, occasionally two-paced surface. Throw in a sluggish outfield – plus an Indian attack buoyed up by the win at Edgbaston and augmented by Jasprit Bumrah – and run-scoring was far from straightforward.

The upshot was a throwback of an opening day in which England were grateful to the enduring class of Joe Root to give them a foothold in the contest.

Arriving at 44 for two in the morning, and walking off unbeaten on 99 from 191 balls at the close, Root had steered the hosts to 251 for four from 83 overs. Seven overs were lost to a combination of injuries, ball changes, heat, and even a swarm of ladybirds late on.