INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Brook and Jamie Smith scored an unbeaten 50-run partnership heading into the Lunch break © Getty
India struck a couple of times in the first session on Day 3, and for a change the bowler was not Jasprit Bumrah. Despite this, England made steady progress, thanks to Harry Brook’s unbeaten half-century and his useful stands with Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith. England scored 118 runs in the 28 overs bowled in the session as the hosts went into Lunch at 327 for 5, trailing by 144.
Prasidh Krishna, after being hit for a four and a six by Harry Brook in the first over, struck early in the day, albeit not with his best ball. Bowling short and outside off to Ollie Pope, he saw the centurion attempt a cut but extra bounce meant the edge landed in the gloves of the ‘keeper. Brook, meanwhile, wasn’t afraid to take on Bumrah, even coming down the track to crack a boundary through cover, and continued scoring fours off Prasidh. Stokes, at the other end, was instead watchful and was even tested on a couple of occasions by Bumrah.
Ravindra Jadeja was the first bowling change of the day and he targetted the rough outside the left-hander’s offstump. Meanwhile, Stokes executed a lovely off drive for a four off Mohammed Siraj in his first over of the day, helping England past 250. Brook gave the charge to Siraj, who bowled it short, only to see the batter guide it over the slip cordon for a four. Stokes then brought out the reverse sweep for a four off Jadeja and edged a Siraj delivery for a boundary as England made good progress, getting 59 runs in the first hour.
The fifth wicket pair took the partnership to 50 early in the second hour when Brook danced down the track to Siraj, dispatching him for four with authority. Siraj, however, struck back with a decisive blow, getting Stokes to edge behind. Jadeja was finding help from the pitch, creating doubts in Brook’s mind but the batter was quick on his feet when he pulled one from the spinner although the ball wasn’t too short. Shardul Thakur was also given the ball late in the session and he bowled one short and wide to be put away for a four by Smith. In the same over the wicketkeeper-batter used the DRS to reverse the onfield decision after being given out lbw.
It was a good battle between Smith and Thakur, with the batter getting beaten once before dragging one off the inner-half of the bat for a four. After England reached 300, Jadeja found the edge of Brook’s bat but Rishabh Pant failed to hold on. Smith was nearly caught at short-leg and in the same over, while Brook brought up his fifty. Bumrah returned to the attack before the Lunch break and nearly had Smith caught at mid on before being struck for a boundary. Bumrah’s lines weren’t ideal in this spell as the England batters accessed the onside and brought up the half-century stand before the break.
Brief scores: India 471 lead England 327/5 (Ollie Pope 106, Ben Duckett 62, Harry Brook 57*; Jasprit Bumrah 3-67, Mohammed Siraj 1-73) by 144 runs.
© Cricbuzz
