CRICKET – FAST bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer took centre stage on the second day of the third Test as India and England traded blows at Lord’s yesterday and the match remained on a knife-edge.
India’s Bumrah produced a devastating spell in the morning, dismissing Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Chris Woakes before Archer struck with his third delivery to remove Yashasvi Jaiswal in his first Test for four years.
India ended the day on 145-3 in reply to England’s 387, the game evenly poised with both sides bidding to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.
Earlier, Bumrah reduced England to 271-7 in two fiery overs, bowling Stokes for 44 and Root for 104 before dismissing Woakes first ball. Stokes had a scare when he attempted a quick single and was well short of the crease when Jaiswal’s throw narrowly missed the stumps.
His reprieve did not last long, however, as Bumrah delivered another searing delivery that crashed into the top of the England captain’s off stump before snaring Root with another peach of a ball that jagged back to remove his middle stump.
“The frustrating thing is I managed to get to 100 but that’s when you should make it count,” Root said. “Something you pride yourself on is turning it into a big score, turning the screw, so I’m a bit disappointed.”
Woakes nicked a catch to stand-in wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel to put Bumrah on a hat-trick, but Brydon Carse played a solid defensive stroke to deny him.
Jamie Smith continued his fine form with crisp strokes around the ground to lift England past 300 and he reached his 50 just before lunch.
Smith’s innings of 51 ended early in the afternoon session when he edged Mohammed Siraj to Jurel, ending a valuable eighth-wicket partnership of 84.
Archer was bowled by Bumrah, who finished with impressive figures of 5-74, but Carse reached his maiden Test 50 before being bowled by Siraj for 56 to end the innings.
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