Joe Root’s composed unbeaten 99 and a gritty knock from captain Ben Stokes helped England recover from early setbacks to end Day 1 of the third Test against India on a strong note at Lord’s. At stumps, England stood at 251/4, overcoming a challenging start through patient partnerships and a return to traditional Test match batting.
India’s bowlers made early inroads after England chose to bat first. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy struck twice before lunch, dismissing both openers Zak Crawley (18) and Ben Duckett (23) in quick succession, as the visitors applied early pressure on a lively Lord’s pitch. By the first break, England found themselves in a spot of bother at 44/2.
The innings turned with the arrival of Joe Root and Ollie Pope, who stitched together a crucial 109-run partnership through watchful and technically sound batting. Root, looking to bounce back from lean scores in the previous matches, anchored the innings with characteristic fluency, while Pope provided steady support with a patient 44 before Ravindra Jadeja broke through after tea.
The final session saw a brief spark from Harry Brook, who struck a few quick boundaries but was bowled by a sharp nip-backer from Jasprit Bumrah for 11. England found themselves at 172/4, but Root and Stokes calmed the nerves with a solid unbroken 79-run stand. Choosing caution over flamboyance, the pair carefully navigated the remainder of the day, with Root closing in on what would be a well-earned century and Stokes unbeaten on 39.
The day also witnessed a setback for India, with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant leaving the field after sustaining a finger injury, forcing Dhruv Jurel to take over behind the stumps.
