England captain Ben Stokes took a wicket with the final ball of day four as the third Test against India hangs in the balance at Lord’s.
With India chasing 193 for victory, Jofra Archer (1-18) gave England a perfect start when he dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) for a duck, while Brydon Carse (2-11) trapped Karun Nair (14) and skipper Shubman Gill (6) leg-before, and Stokes bowled Akash Deep (1) with the final delivery, leaving India 58-4 at stumps with KL Rahul (33no) in the middle.
Earlier, England were bowled out for 192 with no player going past a half-century, and Joe Root’s 40 being the highest score, as the hosts crumbled against India’s spinner Washington Sundar (4-22) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-38).
The fiery emotions of day three bubbled over when Mohammed Siraj (2-31) dismissed Ben Duckett (12) in the sixth over and the pair shared a heated exchange in the middle, before Sundar initiated a collapse that saw England fall from 181-7 to 192 all out in eight overs, with Bumrah wrapping up the tail.
India have comfortably chased scores of more than 250 throughout this series and initially looked all but set for a victory to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, but the final hours of day four produced more chaos, and the Test now hangs in the balance.
England continue to produce magic in finely poised Test
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Jofra Archer got the key wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal early on, leaving India 5-1 in their chase of 193
The mood was sombre when the hosts were bowled out for 192, but England’s bowlers turned the Test on its head once more, taking four wickets in the final 18 overs of the day.
Jaiswal top-edged Archer straight behind where Jamie Smith pouched a dolly. Carse then struck Nair on the pads with a delivery that was nipping back, and then trapped Gill in front, the latter given on review.
Rahul made the most of being dropped by Chris Woakes (0-11) in his follow-through on five but was unable to find a set batter to build a partnership with as Stokes fought till the very end to bowl India’s nightwatchman, Deep.
The day five sell-out crowd at Lord’s are now in for a treat as the third Test remains finely poised with England continuing to create late magic.
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Ben Stokes bowled Akash Deep with the last ball of day four as England reduced India to 58-4
India’s bowlers stun England
India’s Siraj and Bumrah were right on the money in the first hour after the flat Lord’s track finally offered movement for the bowlers.
Duckett was unable to find his rhythm after tamely lofting the Siraj to mid-on, with the India bowler in his face as the pair exchanged a shoulder nudge, and the umpires got involved too.
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Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse were both bowled in quick succession after tea as England slumped to 182-8 against India
Siraj struck again in the 12th over with a wobble seam delivery that caught Ollie Pope’s (4) pad, and after an impassioned plea to Gill for a review, Hawk Eye confirmed it would go on to smash top of middle stump.
Zak Crawley (22) was the next to go, unable to back up his theatrics from day three with a substantial score, after edging Nitish Kumar Reddy (1-20) behind.
Harry Brook (23) was unable to sustain a lengthy counterattack after he hit two boundaries and a six but was bowled by Deep (1-30) after a failed sweep shot, which Sky Sports’ Kumar Sangakkara called “arrogant” on commentary.
That allowed India to head into the lunch with the upper hand as the hosts stuttered on 98-4. Stokes and Root then put on a 67-run partnership, the highest for England in the second innings.
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Washington Sundar bowled both Joe Root and Jamie Smith in quick succession to leave England in a perilous position at 164-6
But a revitalised India attack saw England collapse from 154-5 to 185-9 in the space of 15 overs as Sundar bowled Root, Smith, and Stokes.
Root missed a sweep shot, Smith played on to his stumps after going past 1050 Test runs, and Stokes was beaten after trying to play a slog sweep, leaving England precariously on 181-7.
Bumrah followed Sundar in helping India gain momentum when he bowled Carse (1) with a yorker and then flattened Woakes’ (10) leg-stump.
Bashir came out to bat with an injured left finger, and his nine-ball cameo brought England two runs, before he too was bowled by Sundar, a slower ball deceiving him. However, the England spinner will be fit to bowl on day five, batting coach Marcus Trescothick confirmed.
Washington confident of India win
India off-spinner Washington Sundar, speaking to Sky Sports Cricket:
“Definitely India winning tomorrow.
“The way the fast bowlers came out today and kept the pressure on throughout the day was amazing.
“The plan for me and Ravindra Jadeja [the spinners] was not to give away too many runs but the way things went for us was very good.”
Sangakkara baffled by Brook dismissal
Sky Sports’ Kumar Sangakkara, on Harry Brook’s dismissal earlier on:
“I cannot understand for the life of me what Brook did.
“He was batting so well, the counterattack was so good as he batted positively and had Root going well at the other end.
“Without that one crucial moment [when he was bowled on the sweep], England could have been so much further ahead.
“I know it’s Bazball but that is not smart.”
Watch day five of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am Monday (11am first ball) or stream without a contract.
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports
