Joe Root compiled a gritty unbeaten 99 as England abandoned their usual aggressive approach, opting for traditional long-format batting under consistent pressure from the Indian bowlers to reach 251 for four on day one of the Lord’s Test on Thursday.
At stumps, Root was just one run short of his 37th Test century, having faced 191 balls, and was partnered by Ben Stokes (39 not out off 102 balls). They have added 79 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket partnership.
In a rare decision to bat first in a home game during the Bazball era, England chose to exhibit patience on a slow surface instead of their customary offensive style under Stokes. The pitch appeared green on the eve of the game but looked flat before the toss, as a large crowd gathered at the iconic venue.
With the series tied at 1-1, the pitch was a major point of discussion leading up to the third Test. India, equipped with six bowling options, did not offer many freebies, though Edgbaston hero Akash Deep struggled to find his rhythm in his debut game here.
After a wicketless afternoon session, Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Ollie Pope (44 off 104 balls) with the first ball after tea, catching him behind with a delivery that turned away from length. Five overs later, Jasprit Bumrah showcased his skill by getting one to nip back and breach Harry Brook’s defence.
In the afternoon, Rishabh Pant had an injury scare when a ball angled down leg from Bumrah struck his left fingertips, forcing him to leave the field. Dhruv Jurel replaced him and performed well. Pant’s injury is not serious, and he is expected to resume wicketkeeping on Friday.
India managed to keep England’s run rate in check, but Root and Pope steadily advanced to take the hosts to 153 for two at tea. England, typically known for their ultra-aggressive approach, adopted a subdued session by their standards, with Root and Pope employing classical Test match batting techniques. They were content to leave balls outside the off-stump to avoid any damage, scoring 70 runs from 24 overs in the middle session.
Root reached his fifty with a boundary to the fine-leg region. In the morning session, India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy struck twice in an eventful over, leaving England at 83 for two at lunch.
As expected, Prasidh Krishna was replaced by Bumrah in the Indian playing eleven. The trio of Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Mohamed Siraj posed some challenges, but England’s opening pair of Ben Duckett (23 off 40 balls) and Zak Crawley (18 off 43 balls) survived the first hour of play, reaching 39 for no loss in 13 overs.
Due to the unique slope, the Indian bowlers took some time to adjust to the ground’s up-and-down nature while running in. Bumrah bowled from both the Pavilion End and Nursery End, while Akash Deep, who took a match haul of 10 wickets at Edgbaston, bowled with the new ball from the Nursery End.
Captain Shubman Gill could have brought Akash Deep back after the first hour but opted to give the ball to Reddy from the Nursery End, and he did not disappoint. The first breakthrough came when Duckett gloved a short ball on the leg side to the wicketkeeper. The next ball could have dismissed Pope, but Gill could not hold onto a tough chance at gully. The last ball of the over saw the dismissal of Crawley with a beauty that seamed away from length, inducing an outside edge to the keeper.
