Rahul unbeaten on 53 as India trail England by 242 runs after Bumrah picks 5-74

KL Rahul’s unbeaten 53 and Jasprit Bumrah’s five-wicket haul kept India in the game as they ended Day Two on 145/3, trailing England by 242 in the third Test at Lord’s

LONDON: KL Rahul ensured India ended Day Two of the third Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy series with a hard-fought 53 not out, as the visitors reached 145/3 in 43 overs at stumps at Lord’s on Friday, trailing England by 242 runs.

Rahul was at his patient and determined best, hitting five boundaries in his 113-ball knock, especially with England’s bowlers posing tough questions. With Rishabh Pant by his side on 19 not out, Rahul will hold the key as India look to inch closer to England’s first-innings total of 387. Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball, claiming 5-74 in his 27 overs.

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Playing just his second Test at Lord’s, Bumrah took his 13th five-wicket haul and surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev for the most five-fors by an Indian bowler in overseas conditions.

Despite Joe Root scoring 104 — his 37th Test century, 11th against India, and eighth at Lord’s — England were in trouble at 271/7 before Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse added 84 for the eighth wicket. Smith made 51 after being dropped by Rahul on five, while Carse hit 56 – his maiden Test fifty – as India also conceded 31 extras.

The day began with Root carving Bumrah for four off the first ball to reach his hundred and move past Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith on the all-time centuries list. But Bumrah hit back, clean bowling Ben Stokes with an absolute corker that angled in and knocked off-stump out of the ground.

He then dismissed Root for the 11th time in Tests with a full delivery that nipped in and induced an inside edge onto the stumps. Bumrah followed it up by removing Chris Woakes on review, caught edging a tentative poke.

India could have had more success if Rahul hadn’t dropped Smith at second slip. India also had the ball changed after just 10.3 overs, which halted their momentum. Smith took boundaries off Siraj and Bumrah before India opted for another ball change after 48 deliveries.

As England’s lower-order counter-attacked, Carse grew in confidence, hitting boundaries and rotating strike. Smith brought up his fifty off 52 balls with a single through backward square, as England reached 353/7 at lunch.

India struck right after the break, with Siraj getting Smith caught behind by substitute keeper Dhruv Jurel. Carse then hit two boundaries off Bumrah, but the pacer bounced back to rattle Archer’s stumps with a low delivery to complete his five-for. Siraj wrapped up England’s innings by bowling Carse around his legs.

India began brightly, with Jaiswal hitting Chris Woakes for boundaries through cover and behind square. But Jofra Archer, making his Test comeback, struck in his first over, squaring up Jaiswal and getting him caught at slip by Harry Brook.

Rahul showed excellent judgement of his off-stump and played with soft hands and clarity. Karun Nair survived a testing spell before hitting consecutive boundaries off Archer — through mid-off and a glove edge — before the tea break.

Post-tea, Nair drove Carse and sliced him behind point for boundaries, while Rahul drove Ben Stokes past mid-off for four. Rahul survived an LBW appeal, as England wasted a review. Joe Root then took a stunning one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Nair off Stokes for 40, overtaking Rahul Dravid’s record for most catches in Tests (211).

Shubman Gill had a cautious start, but England’s close-in field and Woakes’ wobble-seam delivery forced an edge to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. Pant, batting after an index finger injury, hit three quick boundaries off Shoaib Bashir, including a powerful swipe over mid-wicket.

Rahul brought up his fifty off 97 balls and calmly saw out the remainder of the day.