Root scored of 104 as India slows down the aggressive Bazball approach
Root scored of 104 as India slows down the aggressive Bazball approach
India vs England 3rd Test: Former England captain hits an unbeaten 99 as the hosts close first day against India on 251-4.
England bucked their usual trend on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s, shifting gears from Bazball’s flamboyant aggression to calculated restraint exactly the kind of "boring Test cricket" Shubman Gill cheekily called out from the slip cordon. But it worked. With the sun beating down and the pitch offering little pace, England played it safe, scoring at a modest rate of 3.02 runs per over, the slowest full-day rate in their Bazball era. Joe Root was the centrepiece of their innings, finishing unbeaten on 99 and guiding England to a position of quiet strength.
Ben Stokes, for the third time in this series, won the toss. Yet instead of sticking to his formula of bowling first, he chose to bat a decision likely shaped by the dry surface and the forecasted 30-degree heat. It was only his third time choosing to bat first in a home Test, and England had lost on the previous two occasions. Shubman Gill admitted he was unsure what he would have done had he won the toss, leaning toward bowling first due to the greenness he noticed on the surface a day earlier.
Both sides made one change from the Edgbaston Test. England brought in Jofra Archer, resting Josh Tongue after a taxing two Tests. India, meanwhile, welcomed back Jasprit Bumrah, replacing Prasidh Krishna. These two returns added edge and pedigree to both attacks, even though batting took center stage for most of the day.
The first session was full of tension and subtle drama. Bumrah bowled with discipline and demanded close field placements, urging his slip cordon to move forward after an early delivery reached wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on the half-volley. Duckett was repeatedly struck by Bumrah’s seam movement, while Crawley showed moments of brilliance but also uncertainty, playing and missing frequently against both Akash Deep and Siraj.
But it was Nitish Kumar Reddy who made the vital breakthroughs. Surprisingly, his first wicket came from an unthreatening ball a short delivery on Duckett’s hips that was pulled and under-edged to Pant. Moments later, he bowled a near-perfect outswinger to Crawley, which angled in and moved away late to catch the edge. In between, Gill dropped a difficult chance in the gully off Ollie Pope, denying Reddy a third in that magical over.
Pope and Root then shifted gears and built a patient 109-run stand. At one stage, England went 28 consecutive balls without scoring, a rare sight for a team known for their high-risk, high-reward approach. Siraj tried to stir things up by audibly teasing Root: “Baz-Baz-Bazball! Come on, I want to see it.” But England weren’t biting. Pope remained focused, perhaps to prove he could outlast his tag as “the worst starter since prawn cocktail” (a cheeky nickname from the Times).
After tea, the session sparked to life. Pope, trying to up the tempo, flashed at Jadeja’s first delivery and edged behind to Dhruv Jurel, who had taken over wicketkeeping duties after Pant injured his index finger while collecting a Bumrah delivery. Jurel’s clean glove work on debut helped India stay in the game despite their frontline pacers going wicketless.
Just minutes later, Bumrah dismissed Harry Brook with a classic delivery nipping back off the seam and smashing into off stump. It was the kind of ball that reminded everyone why Bumrah remains one of the most threatening bowlers in world cricket.
Ben Stokes came in and quickly found boundaries with back-to-back cuts, but he appeared physically uncomfortable, particularly against spin. A missed sweep and a prolonged break for treatment hinted at a groin niggle, but he battled through and supported Root in an unbeaten 79-run partnership.
Meanwhile, Root was his usual composed self. He rotated strike, picked his moments, and displayed his classic touch with only one standout aggressive shot a powerful slog-sweep off Jadeja. In the final over of the day, Root needed a boundary for his century but managed only a two and a single, finishing the day on 99. Interestingly, all 16 players who have ended a day on 99 in a Test match have gone on to complete their century the next morning.
India, for all their effort, will be content with their disciplined bowling and tactical field placements. Despite the slow pitch and England’s caution, they claimed four important wickets and kept the run-rate in check, a testament to their resolve and planning.
Day 1 might not have delivered edge-of-your-seat thrills, but the slow burn sets up an intriguing battle one where patience and timing could be just as valuable as power-hitting. And with Root poised for a century and both sides dealing with injury concerns, Day 2 promises more action, if not fireworks.