India lose early wickets after bowlers rule Lord’s

Sundar, Siraj and Bumrah combine to dismiss hosts for 192, but India wobble to leave Test in balance

- Rasesh Mandani

A Lord’s Test and an India bowling day. Cast your mind back to 2021 and those 60 overs of hell. It took India 62.1 overs this time to dismiss England for 192.

But to get over the line this time, India have to chase those runs down. England recorded four strikes late on Sunday in Yashasvi Jaiswal (0), out to an injudicious half pull, Karun Nair (14), gone to an ungainly leave, Shubman Gill (6), whose nervy vigil lasted nine balls, and nightwatchman Akash Deep (1).

Going into the fifth day on a pitch showing enough signs of wear and tear, India still have to score 135 runs. Like it has been a pattern in this series, it is anybody's game. At 58/4, India's hopes rest on KL Rahul, the first-innings centurion unbeaten on 33 at stumps. England’s stonewalling approach in the first innings was just a pause for Bazball. The ramps and the scoops were back on Day 4. If the Sunday crowd at Lord’s had chosen cricket over the Wimbledon final anticipating a more frenetic action, it is just what they got. And the opening session is where India took charge.

The spice in the pitch that England had publicly called for but was unseen for three days suddenly became a talking point as Jasprit Bumrah began to get the ball to lift off the surface. One thing with deteriorating pitches, you don't know until there is a spike in parameters.