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KL Rahul scored his second century at Lord’s as India matched England’s 387 on day three of the third Test. Rahul (100), Jadeja (72), and Pant (74) led India’s innings.
KL Rahul shone with the bat on Day 3 at Lord’s. (AP Photo)
KL Rahul scored his second century at the long-lasting Lord’s as India equalled England’s first innings total of 387 on a difficult third day of the third Test. The sport remained balanced on a deteriorating pitch.
Alongside Rahul’s impressive performance (100 off 177), Ravindra Jadeja (72 off 131) and Rishabh Pant (74 off 112) bolstered India’s first innings total.
It would be a challenge for India to bat last on a surface where some deliveries are bouncing sharply and offering turn.
When England batted, Zak Crawley took his time to make sure he faced just one hostile over from Jasprit Bumrah, because the hosts ended the day with a slim two-run lead.
The ultimate five minutes of the third day were dramatic, with Shubman Gill and Crawley involved in a confrontation. The Indian skipper used some alternative words to induce the English opener to indicate some courage against Bumrah.
Jofra Archer’s pace was a spectacle, consistently breaching the 90 mph mark. Ben Stokes also made the ball rise sharply from a back-of-length position, with one delivery hitting Nitish Reddy’s helmet grille.
Like England, India adopted a cautious approach on the two-paced pitch, scoring at lower than 3.5 runs per over.
The lower order consumed many balls but couldn’t speed up the scoring rate. Jadeja, after his third consecutive fifty, edged a delivery from Chris Woakes down the leg side.
Akash Deep had two on-field lbw decisions overturned via DRS but was dismissed after hitting a six.
Realising he was losing partners, Washington Sundar attempted a wild swing off Archer but was caught by Harry Brook at a straightish fantastic leg, ending India’s innings.
Within the afternoon, Rahul was dismissed by a loose drive after completing his tenth Test century.
Rahul reached his hundred shortly after lunch with a single off Archer, becoming the second Indian batter after Dilip Vengsarkar (three centuries) to attain multiple centuries at Lord’s.
Nonetheless, he lost concentration in the following over, driving at a flighted delivery from Shoaib Bashir and edging it to Harry Brook at first slip.
Runs were hard to come back by, with India adding only 68 runs within the session.
Bashir had to depart the sphere after taking a blow on his left finger while fielding off his own bowling.
Poor running between the wickets by Reddy and Jadeja was noticeable, with either player nearly run out 3 times.
England immediately took the second latest ball but didn’t gain much from it. Rahul’s early dismissal within the session was their only success.
Earlier, Rishabh Pant overcame pain in his left index finger to attain an entertaining half-century before being run out just before lunch, leaving India at 248 for 4 in 64 overs.
With Rahul nearing a century at the opposite end, Pant attempted an ill-advised quick single within the last over of the session. England skipper Ben Stokes pulled off an excellent direct hit from cover, giving his team something in a session otherwise controlled by India.
The partnership between Rahul and Pant yielded 141 runs off 198 balls.
Despite his finger injury from day one, Pant made his intentions clear, even against Archer’s express pace.
Pant and Rahul were watchful for the primary half-hour, scoring only 14 runs in seven overs.
The runs began to flow when Rahul perfected a punch off the back foot.
Like their strategy against Shubman Gill, England brought the wicket-keeper near the stumps to discourage Pant from leaving his crease. The move worked briefly until Pant opted for an offensive approach.
During breaks, Pant received treatment for his injured finger from the physio.
India reached 197 for 3 in the primary hour of play. England requested a ball change after the opening hour, which was approved by the umpires. Rahul then punished Brydon Carse with three consecutive fours.
Pant, then again, pulled Ben Stokes over fantastic leg to bring up his half-century. His second six of the innings was a straight hit down the bottom off Bashir.
(With PTI Inputs)
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