On Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s, England chose to bat first but found themselves under pressure early due to disciplined Indian bowling. However, Joe Root once again proved to be the backbone of England’s batting lineup, grinding his way to a resilient 99 not out by stumps. Despite losing wickets in clusters, England ended the day with a respectable 251/4, with Root and skipper Ben Stokes steadying the ship in the final session.

Joe Root holds England together with gritty 99 not out on Day 1 of Lord’s Test

England’s start was far from ideal as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett both fell within the span of four deliveries to the sharp seam of Nitish Kumar Reddyreducing the hosts to 44/2. Reddy, playing as India’s pace-bowling all-rounder, extracted late movement to dismiss both openers caught behind by Rishabh Pant. Then came the vital phase, as Root walked in under pressure and calmly partnered with Ollie Pope to rebuild.

The pair added 109 runs for the third wicket in patient fashion, with Pope playing the perfect support act, scoring 44 from 104 deliveries before falling immediately after tea to a brilliant reflex catch from substitute keeper Dhruv jurel off Ravindra Jadaja’s first ball of the session. Jurel’s impact was instant, diving sharply to his right to pluck a big deflection off Pope’s bat, a moment that lifted India’s spirits.

Root, unfazed by the dismissal, continued to grind through, mixing caution with fluent strokes. He was particularly strong on the leg side and handled the Indian pacers with assurance, reaching his 50 from 102 balls. His partnership with Harry Brook was brief, as Jasprit bumrah sent Brook’s off stump cartwheeling with a trademark nip-backer. But Stokes joined Root to stitch another crucial 79-run stand for the fifth wicket. Root’s calm accumulation and Stokes’ watchful support ensured England didn’t collapse under pressure. Root finished unbeaten on 99, frustrating India in the final overs.

India’s bowlers impress despite lack of wickets in final session

India’s pace attack, led by Bumrah, was sharp and consistent throughout the day. Bumrah bowled 18 overs for just 35 runs and picked up the key wicket of Brook with a peach. Mohammed Siraj also kept things tight with 14 overs for 33, building pressure with his accuracy. But it was Nitish Reddy who provided the early breakthroughs, using angles and subtle movement to remove both openers cheaply.

Akash Deepplaying his second Test of the series, bowled with heart but lacked the precision, conceding 75 runs in 17 overs. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadaja bowled in tandem through the middle, with Jadeja picking up Pope thanks to Jurel’s excellent glovework. Jadeja’s 1/26 spell offered control, and Sundar’s economy of 2.10 added value despite going wicketless. India rotated their bowlers effectively and held England to just 98 runs in the final 34 overs of the day. With Root nearing a century and Stokes settled, Day 2’s first hour will be crucial in determining the momentum of the match. The visitors will look to wrap up the innings swiftly before the surface flattens out further.

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