England’s decision to bat first in the third Test against India at Lord’s presented a significant challenge for their batsmen, as the hosts found themselves in a difficult position after losing a couple of early wickets. Playing on a green-tinged pitch that had been trimmed on the first morning, England signaled a departure from their usual high-tempo approach, instead being forced into a more traditional, patient batting effort.
Joe Root and Ollie Pope demonstrated resilience and determination, successfully navigating a demanding phase of play to remain unbeaten for more than one and a half sessions. Their crucial partnership yielded 109 runs from 210 deliveries, providing much-needed stability and helping England initiate a recovery following the shaky start.
Adding to India’s concerns during this period, wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant was forced off the field after sustaining a finger injury while attempting to collect a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah down the leg side. Dhruv Jurel took over wicket-keeping duties for the Indian side, who had applied significant pressure on the England openers earlier in the day.
With Jasprit Bumrah returning to the attack in place of Prasidh Krishna, India’s new-ball pairing with Akash Deep consistently tested the England openers. The pitch offered noticeable movement for both bowlers, complemented by uneven bounce that occasionally aided them. Numerous genuine edges from the English bats fell safely short of the wicket-keeper or the slip cordon throughout the initial hour, contributing to an increase in plays and misses as the ball deviated off the surface.
The challenging conditions were underscored by a false shot percentage of 38.4% in the first 15 overs, marking the highest such figure for the opening 15 overs of any Test innings in England since 2006. Consequently, England’s scoring rate was subdued, with boundaries occurring less frequently than is typical of their “Bazball” era. While Bumrah and Akash Deep were perhaps unfortunate not to claim wickets, debutant Nitish Reddy enjoyed more success. In his first over, he dismissed Ben Duckett, caught after attempting a pull shot down the leg side. Just two balls later, Reddy produced an excellent away-seamer that induced Zak Crawley to nick behind. Reddy might have secured another wicket between these dismissals had Shubman Gill managed to hold onto a difficult low chance at gully.
Pope, at times, rode his luck, while Root maintained a busy presence at the crease as they weathered the early storm together, building their fighting partnership. Scoring was notably slow during this phase, including a period of over four consecutive overs without a single run scored. The overall run rate of 2.91 stood as England’s second-slowest at home over a full season in the Bazball era. Despite the slow scoring, Joe Root reached his 103rd score of fifty or more, while Ollie Pope was also closing in on the milestone by the time tea was taken.
England's Joe Root celebrates fifty against India at Lord's during the third Test
At Tea, England’s brief score stood at 153 for 2, with Joe Root unbeaten on 54 and Ollie Pope on 44. Nitish Reddy was the standout bowler for India with figures of 2 for 35.
