CRICKET – OPENER KL Rahul scored a century while Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant pitched in with crucial fifties as India posted 387 on day three, equalling England’s first innings, with their third Test hanging in the balance at Lord’s yesterday.
An injury to Shoaib Bashir blunted England’s pace-spin attack strategy when India looked vulnerable with five wickets down after losing Pant and Rahul in quick succession, before Jadeja steadied their innings with his third fifty-plus knock in a row.
England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett played a single over before stumps, remaining unbeaten at 2-0 as the five-match series remains tied with both sides looking to go 2-1 up with a win.
India started well from an overnight score of 145-3 with Rahul accompanied by left-handed batter Pant, who scored twin centuries in the first Test, battled through an injured finger on his left hand as he hooked England captain Stokes for six to bring up his fifty.
The two added 141 runs for the fourth wicket before Pant was run out for 74 on the last ball before lunch.
Rahul was the next to fall, edging Bashir’s flighted ball to Harry Brook in the slip on his very next ball after reaching 100, leaving India on shaky ground at 254-5 under a warm London sun.
Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, new to the crease, looked unsteady as England’s bowlers piled on the pressure. However, as England returned to using two pacers soon after Bashir’s injury, the pair put together a 72-run partnership before Stokes claimed his second wicket, getting Reddy to nick it to keeper Jamie Smith for 30.
But Jadeja kept the runs flowing, scoring his third fifty-plus knock in a row, while Washington Sundar adopted a slow approach on the other end.
Their 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket got India within 11 runs of England’s total, before Chris Woakes dismissed Jadeja for 72.
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