England tighten grip as India falter on final day at Lord’s

London: England have taken a firm hold of the third Test at Lord’s after picking up four wickets in the morning session on the final day, leaving India staring at defeat despite early dominance in the match.

Much like the first Test, India had controlled most of the sessions until the final day, only for England to turn up the heat at the business end. After winning the final session on Day 4, the hosts carried that momentum into Day 5, dismantling India’s fragile batting lineup.

Chasing 193 for victory, India resumed the day at 58 for four but quickly slumped to 82 for seven as key batters Rishabh Pant and overnight partner KL Rahul departed in quick succession. Washington Sundar, who had earlier claimed a four-wicket haul in England’s second innings, also fell—courtesy of a sharp diving catch from Jofra Archer.

India, winners of their last two Tests at this venue, were tottering at 112 for eight at lunch, still needing 81 runs for a dramatic win. Ravindra Jadeja, battling on 17, is joined by Jasprit Bumrah as the visitors cling to faint hopes of pulling off a miracle.

Fans will recall the famous 2019 ninth-wicket partnership between Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who added 89 runs to swing the match in India’s favour. But with the conditions and match context vastly different this time, the task appears far steeper.

Earlier in the session, Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy added 30 runs for the eighth wicket to steady the innings briefly, but Reddy’s dismissal just before lunch has deepened India’s crisis.