Washington and Carse shine at Lord’s as an exciting finish approaches
Washington and Carse shine at Lord’s as an exciting finish approaches
IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Washington Sundar led the way for India as he picked up four wickets to bundle out England for 192.
India’s bowlers delivered a brilliant performance on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s, setting up a chase of 193 runs for a 2-1 lead in the series. But by the end of the day, India found themselves in trouble, losing four wickets and finishing at 58 for 4, still needing 135 more runs to win.
The day began with India’s fast bowlers showing great control and aggression. Jasprit Bumrah troubled Zak Crawley with sharp movement and bounce, while Mohammed Siraj bowled a tight seven-over spell and took two important wickets. He dismissed Ben Duckett with a short ball that was caught at mid-on and then trapped Ollie Pope lbw, though it needed a review to confirm. Pope’s struggles in the second innings continued, with his average now just 19.64.
Nitish Kumar Reddy joined the attack and got Crawley out again, this time with a loose shot that was caught at gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Harry Brook tried to counterattack with some aggressive strokes, including two fours and a six off Akash Deep. But Akash responded perfectly, bowling Brook with a full, straight delivery.
After lunch, India turned to spin, and Washington Sundar made an immediate impact. He bowled Joe Root with a ball that slid under the bat during a sweep attempt, breaking a 67-run partnership with Ben Stokes. Root’s 40 was the highest score of England’s innings and ended his impressive run of scores at Lord’s. Washington then bowled Jamie Smith with a quicker ball that didn’t turn, sneaking past the edge and hitting the stumps.
England tried to steady things with Stokes and Chris Woakes at the crease, but Washington struck again after tea. He bowled Stokes with another delivery that beat the bat during a slog sweep. Bumrah finally got his reward too, bowling Brydon Carse with a perfect yorker and then dismissing Woakes with a ball that clipped the leg-side bail. Washington wrapped up the innings by bowling Shoaib Bashir, marking the 12th bowled dismissal by India in the match a rare feat in Test cricket. His final figures of 4 for 22 were the best by an Indian spinner at Lord’s since 1974.
India’s chase started poorly. Jofra Archer dismissed Jaiswal in the second over with a short ball that was top-edged to the keeper. KL Rahul and Karun Nair tried to rebuild, adding 36 runs, but Nair was trapped lbw by Carse after misjudging a delivery. Carse then got Shubman Gill out in a similar fashion, hitting him on the knee roll with a ball that came in sharply. Gill reviewed the decision but couldn’t overturn it.
Akash Deep came in as nightwatchman but wasn’t ready with his gear, causing a delay that frustrated England. Root fired up the crowd, and after a dramatic few minutes including a review and a visit from the physio Stokes bowled Akash Deep with the last ball of the day, flattening his off stump.
India now face a tough task on the final day. With KL Rahul unbeaten on 33 and several capable batters still to come, they’ll need a steady and focused effort to chase down the remaining 135 runs. England, on the other hand, will be hoping to take the remaining six wickets and snatch a win at Lord’s.