England earned a 27-run lead over India thanks partly to Joe Root’s 180 not out as the third day ended with Jimmy Anderson being bowled
Bairstow on Root.
Related: ‘I’ve run out of superlatives,’ says Jonny Bairstow after Joe Root’s heroics
Liew on Root.
Related: Joe Root forgets England’s toils and refinds secret to batting immortality | Jonathan Liew
Here is Ali Martin’s report.
Related: Masterful Joe Root hauls England back into contention with India
That really was something. This whole series has been entertaining, and each day of this Test has been outstanding. Today, England resumed 240-odd behind with three wickets down, a mountain of work to do. But Root, who has had a few years of making moderate scores rather than dominant ones before 2021 rolled around, was equal to it. He tamed excellent bowling and looked good doing it, and nothing broke his concentration over the course of the entire day. He was there when it started, there when it ended, and including yesterday batted nearly nine hours in all.
Bairstow gave him support with 57, their partnership worth 121, before Buttler and Moeen contributed with smaller but important stands. Root went quiet while wickets 7, 8, 9 went down, but opened up again while forestalling the tenth.
128 overs: England 391 (Root 180) And Joe Root matches what he did in Australia in 2013: 180 at Lord’s. On that day he got out, on this day he could have gone on but for want of company. He has once again saved England - without Root, defeat would have been overwhelmingly likely. Now, it’s basically a one-innings shootout. Can India make enough on day four to challenge England on day five? Or can England’s bowlers swing it their own way?
“The last ball of the day, can you believe that!” Thanks, Bill Lawry. Anderson is desperate to survive, to keep going with Joe Root the next day. He has two balls to survive, blocks one, leaves one. But of course one is an overstep. Shami gets another go. All the ones that hit Anderson’s body today, they were no balls. But the one that hit his stumps is not. Shami angles it in from around the wicket. Anderson drives. He doesn’t know why. He doesn’t want to. But he can’t help himself. He’s drawn in by the ball, like a spacecraft being pulled into orbit. Drives through the line and misses it, and immediately is throwing his head back. “Oh no,” you can clearly lip-read him saying. The timber is gone, Root’s masterpiece is done, India will be batting first thing tomorrow.
127th over: England 389-9 (Root 179, Anderson 0) T20 mode: engaged. Root has seen that his innings might not be long for this world. He pulls out the ramp shot against Siraj, inverting his bat face and scooping away for four. Then gets low and just smacks the next over midwicket, four more, one bounce. Jadeja dives across and can’t reach it, and if he can’t then no one can.
Root takes the single fourth ball, and Anderson survives the rest. England’s lead is 26.
126th over: England 380-9 (Root 170, Anderson 0) At last we’re underway again. Second ball of the over, hits Anderson in the ribs. He’s wearing a chest guard but that might have missed the edge of it. You can hear the ‘oof’ from Anderson through the stump mic.
Third ball, short, smashes into the glove. Pops up, lands short of the onrushing Bumrah looking for a caught and bowled. So Jimmy walks out of the line of the next ball, trying to fend it fine but instead bounces it to the keeper. That’s a no ball, too.
Long delay here - Bumrah gets that chance at Anderson, and he badges him first ball. Jimmy expecting the yorker and instead it’s at his head. He pulls back a bit, throws his gloves up, and gets a glancing blow off the front of the helmet. Lucky that it did miss his gloves because Rahane takes the ricochet in the cordon. Anderson is fine, but has to undergo the concussion protocol.
125th over: England 376-9 (Root 170, Anderson 0) Siraj has four wickets and a crack at James Anderson, but doesn’t take his chance. Bowls down the leg side and Pant has to dive across to save four extras, but gives away one bye. Root takes the strike and clips four runs to long leg. That will give India the chance of a full over at Anderson.
How often is it Ravindra Jadeja? He does it again! Just the spectre of him. Root flicks Siraj’s third ball out to deep backward square. But Jadeja is so fast from riding the boundary in front of square. Root has set off for two, running the first hard and turning. But on turning he sees that Jadeja already has the ball in hand. “No!” is the shout, but Mark Wood has already started running and he has the blinkers on. Root turns around and lunges for the non-striker’s crease to reach it before Wood, and Jadeja’s throw is flat over the bails for Rishabh Pant.
124th over: England 369-8 (Root 165, Wood 4) Bumrah is back, and he’s bowling no-balls again. Which renders even his deliveries harmless. One might paraphrase Snoop Dogg: “overstepping with your weapon on safety”. He’s bowled nine of the things in this innings! Struggling with the slope, maybe? You’ve got a four-step run-up, Jasprit, sort it out.
123rd over: England 366-8 (Root 165, Wood 3) That’s the stuff, Joseph. And what a shot. Siraj bowls what is just about a yorker. Root reaches out to it and flicks it, all wrists, just behind square leg. That is impressive. And it gets England the lead. By two runs.
122nd over: England 362-8 (Root 161, Wood 3) Root eventually moves off 160, where he’s been for a long while, by glancing Shami after Wood slices a drive for one.
121st over: England 360-8 (Root 160, Wood 2) Siraj, Kohli, review. An iconic trio. And the crowd loves it when India’s captain makes the T sign. This time, they don’t lose one! Because it’s umpire’s call. Not out though. Siraj hit Root near the knee roll, back on his stumps, and DRS shows it was maybe clipping the bails.
Another over with no score. If you could search for one criticism of Root today it would be that he hasn’t done much to get the score moving with his lower order. They would probably play better with him taking command.
120th over: England 360-8 (Root 160, Wood 2) Mark Wood does fine though. Not only gets through Shami’s over, but dinks a couple of runs over midwicket into the bargain.
119th over: England 358-8 (Root 160, Wood 0) That’s keeping the lid on. Siraj is the one in the kitchen. Stays tight on the off stump for Root, who doesn’t have the confidence to attack anything on a good length, nor can he find a way to farm the strike.
118th over: England 358-8 (Root 160, Wood 0) Mark Wood will bat 10, the Durham lad who can take the long handle from time to time. England trail by 7 runs. Jadeja continues, Kohli perhaps just looking to keep a lid on Root while going after the others. Root happily drives a single second ball. Wood shows good defence on his off stump. Could have had a run from the sixth ball but doesn’t bother.
117th over: England 357-8 (Root 159) Leg bye off Root’s pad after the short break, giving Siraj a good look at Robinson. Beats him with a good one that leaps off the pitch, scrambled seam, to beat the edge as Robinson fends by reflex. Next one is cutting in and taking his inside edge into the leg side. Then the last ball of the over, Siraj slips it fuller. Scrambled seam ducking in. Beats the inside edge. Hits halfway up the shin, and DRS shows umpire’s call on leg stump after Robinson shrugs at Root and asks for the review because why not?
116th over: England 356-7 (Root 159, Robinson 6) Full toss from Jadeja, and Root smacks it through midwicket. He’s got the deficit down to 8 runs. Drinks.
With that 4 from Jadeja, Joe Root is now into the top 50 for Test runs scored in a calendar year. He's going to rocket up that list over his next couple of hundred.
115th over: England 351-7 (Root 154, Robinson 6) Siraj bustles through onto Robinson’s pads, but the ball-tracking would have said umpire’s call, and Siraj didn’t push for the review. He’s burned four in his last two innings, so let’s call that personal growth. Bowls short next ball and Robinson cuts four.
114th over: England 347-7 (Root 154, Robinson 3) Gone in Sixty Seconds: starring Ravindra Jadeja.
113th over: England 346-7 (Root 154, Robinson 2) Tough break for Ishant, who has to bowl his hat-trick ball to Joe Root on 152. For a second it looks like Ishant might be through onto the pads, but sure enough Root glances him. Robinson squeezes away a run but Root gives him back the strike immediately. Thanks skip. Robinson mistimes another one for a run to square leg.
112th over: England 342-7 (Root 152, Robinson 0) Ollie Robinson can bat. Root needs the support. Takes a single off Jadeja. Robinson copes fine.
111th over: England 341-7 (Root 152) Moeen faced 72 balls for his 27, very disciplined. But suddenly an over takes two for none, and the deficit is still 23.
Another one! And another Golden Globe Award for England. Outstanding bowling from Ishant Sharma, he has been supreme in the latter part of the day. Around the wicket again to the left-hander, ball swinging in. The seam so still that it could be painted on. Hits that seam and moves away, at that hard length that Ishant bowls. Clips near the shoulder of the bat and flies to second slip. Curran had no chance, and the man who caused India such trouble in 2018 has gone first ball in 2021.
Ishant is preying on Moeen’s patience: short balls to tempt the hook, a bit of width to tempt the slash. Moeen offers neither. But the fifth ball he has to play. Around the wicket Ishant, angled in at the stumps. It wasn’t going to hit them but the angle was enough to make Moeen play. The ball seams away and Moeen’s push is hard. Thick edge low to Kohli standing quite wide at first slip, who takes it with fingers near the ground. Third umpire check it but the vision is pretty clear.
110th over: England 341-5 (Root 151, Moeen 28) Jadeja blurs through an over as only he can, worth one run to Moeen.
109th over: England 340-5 (Root 151, Moeen 27) Ishant tries a series of short balls. Moeen doesn’t bite. Waits for one fuller on the pads and flicks a run. He’s played well today, patiently. Brought the deficit down to 24.
108th over: England 339-5 (Root 151, Moeen 26) Singles come from Jadeja, three of them, as the score ticks along.
107th over: England 336-5 (Root 150, Moeen 24) One hundred and fifty up for Joe Root, in streaky style. He plays a little late cut just to the left of Rohit Sharma in the gully, who throws out a hand but can’t grasp it. It was low and fast. Root laughs, things are going his way. As he did repeatedly earlier this year, makes a hundred a big one.
106th over: England 330-5 (Root 145, Moeen 23) Lap sweep from Moeen against Jadeja, picks up two to fine leg.
Sharp from Ian Forth. “If - IF - these two can get up near parity, good opportunity for Ali, Curran and Robinson to cash in against a tiring attack, a la Prior Swann and Broad (1.0 version) did 10 years ago. 8 and 9 in the order one area where England have the edge in the series.”
105th over: England 328-5 (Root 145, Moeen 21) Bumrah to Moeen, that javelin arm and catapult action. Gives him a couple of bouncers but Moeen evades them. Sharp single from the sixth ball, Root responds quickly and beats the throw to the striker’s end. England’s deficit is down to 36.
104th over: England 327-5 (Root 145, Moeen 20) Spin time. Ravindra Jadeja on for his 15th over of the innings. Root cuts hard into the ground and on the bounce over slip for two runs. Only he could score in that spot today.
103rd over: England 325-5 (Root 143, Moeen 20) Root’s ability to get off strike has been a feature of this innings. Moeen is happy to barely play a shot against Bumrah.
“What a lovely afternoon’s cricket seeing Root score a majestic century and Moeen come out of his shell to score an array of backfoot cover drives. Moeen Ali provides a refreshing contrast to the ungainly England opening pair of Burns and Sibley and. with his offspin, should surely be a permanent member of the England test team.”
102nd over: England 324-5 (Root 142, Moeen 20) Shami is bowling well. Root nearing 150, battling like a dream, and Shami still sizzles one past his outside edge. Root is happy to play safe, pinching an eventual single but no more.
101st over: England 323-5 (Root 141, Moeen 20) Sloppy fielding from Siraj, he can be a bit slack in the field at times. Trots across to midwicket and reaches down with one hand to grab the ball that Root has nudged there, and lets it go right under his fingers. Should have been putting his body behind that. It scoots through for three runs instead of one.
100th over: England 318-5 (Root 136, Moeen 20) Shami to Root, bowling that hard length that keeps the batsman quiet. Its only the final ball of the over that offers Root just enough width to push it away to point for a single.
99th over: England 317-5 (Root 135, Moeen 20) Jasprit Bumrah starts off after tea, but Root cannot be kept quiet. Two runs from the first ball, one from the second, clipped to leg as Bumrah bowls straight.
It’s been quite the day for England. Root is turning his hundred into a big one, Bairstow made a fifty, while Buttler and Moeen have done their part. England can dream of a first-innings lead now, with a long final session to come.
98th over: England 314-5 (Root 132, Moeen 20) Again the edge of Root’s bat, this time on the bounce into the cordon and fumbled away for a single. Moeen gets a look at Shami and picks up another boundary, glanced to fine leg. England trail by 50 at tea.
97th over: England 309-5 (Root 131, Moeen 16) He really does make it look easy, Moeen Ali. Gets an absolute beauty from Siraj, swinging in the air and snaking down the hill from the Pavilion End to beat the edge. But Moeen shrugs it off, stands tall to the next one and punches through point for four. Shorter to follow, cut much harder, airborne over gully. That deficit has suddenly shrunk to 55.
96th over: England 300-5 (Root 130, Moeen 8) An edge from Root, looking to play leg-side and instead skewing the bat in his hands as the ball goes towards point. Lands safely. Moeen finally connects on the drive, down the ground from Shami for three. Root plays his little chop shot into the gully, another run there. And Moeen plays an effortless push square that rolls into the rope at deep point! Ok, the runs have sped up again.
95th over: England 291-5 (Root 128, Moeen 1) The runs have slowed. Siraj comes on to replace Ishant, conceding only a single. Root flicks that run square to start the over, leaving Mo to again leave a couple of balls and miss another big drive. The fresh air outside his off stump is taking a beating.
94th over: England 290-5 (Root 127, Moeen 1) Now it’s Mohammed Shami’s turn to send down some dot balls to Moeen, who is leaving for the most part but gets drawn into a shot and beaten twice in the over. Hasn’t quite decided if he wants to defend or counterattack yet. No run from the over.
93rd over: England 290-5 (Root 127, Moeen 1) Ishant carries on after the wicket. Bounces Root, pulled for one. Comes around the wicket to Moeen Ali, new man in at No7, who leaves everything he can outside the off stump before playing drop and run for a single into the covers.
92nd over: England 289-5 (Root 126, Moeen 0) England’s captain isn’t fazed by losing his keeper. First ball of the next over, drives Shami immaculately through cover for four.
91st over: England 283-5 (Root 121) Perfect delivery! Ishant vindicates his selection with that one. Uses the Lord’s slope like he laid the turf himself. Just the right length, stands up the seam, draws Buttler into the drive, then decks back down the hill and hits the very top of off stump. One from the very top drawer.
90th over: England 282-4 (Root 120, Buttler 23) Luck for Buttler: a classic delivery from Bumrah, the angle in and seam away at a length just full enough to make Buttler drive. Edges into the gap in the cordon for four. Might just have bounced in front of a fourth slip. After the event, it turns out that was a no-ball anyway. Bumrah, annoyed, then decides to make a point when Joe Root is faffing about before taking strike. Bumrah produces a lawn-bowls effort from the top of his mark, rolling the ball down the pitch and just past Root’s off stump. The startled batsman whips his head around, to see Bumrah signalling to him. “Hello? Awake?” Bumrah’s annoyance provokes another overstep as he looks for pace. He bowled one earlier in the over, too, so three oversteps in a nine-ball over.
89th over: England 272-4 (Root 118, Buttler 18) Root leans into the drive again, as he’s done so often, but finds cover from Ishant Sharma this time. Near 90 overs on the board, Ishant 0 for 52, and India may indeed be wishing they had gone with Ashwin’s off-spin by now. Retrospect is easy. Root flicks a single. Kohli brings in a second midwicket for Buttler, giving Ishant the signal to bowl straight. Errs to the off side to end the over though, and Buttler drives the full ball square for four. Beats the chase and dive from Siraj. England 92 behind.
88th over: England 267-4 (Root 117, Buttler 14) Bumrah resumes after the drinks break. Smacks Root on the thigh pad for a leg bye, Buttler plays out the rest with blocks and leaves. Wonder if we’ll see Buttler express himself today? He’s been circumspect to his detriment in Tests lately.
Greetings all. Thanks Tanya. Into the back half of the day, and don’t we have a match on our hands. England trailing by 98, Root doing the business again, Buttler with a start, India with a challenge. Giuseppe Root is up to 1181 runs in the calendar year so far: he’s not yet in the top 50 historically for that measure, but over his next couple of hundred runs he’ll zoom up the last. At the top: Mohammed Yousuf with a Captain Cook, 1788.
87th over: England 266-4 (Root 117; Buttler 14) A Shami loosener is given a good biffing by Buttler and goes for a spirit-raising four. Shami then zips between inside edge and stumps as Buttler defends. But advantage Buttler - an extra-cover drive to finish the over. The twelfth men skip down the pavilion steps with drinks and it is time for me to hand-over to the effervescent Geoff Lemon. Thanks for all your emails and tweets - apologies to those I didn’t get to. Enjoy the afternoon!
86th over: England 258-4 (Root 117; Buttler 6) Bumrah strays on Root’s pads and Root glances him downs to the rope where Ishant Sharma makes a dog’s dinner of the fielding and it goes for four. On the big screen, it flashes up that Root has now gathered 9000 Test runs -the second youngest after Alastair Cook. As if to reset the world, Bumrah then beats him as he pushes forward.
85th over: England 252-4 (Root 111; Buttler 6) The crowd watch in sunglasses and hats as Ishant eats up the grass with his huge strides. Buttler is watchful. Why is Ishant bowling? This might explain it:
Ishant Sharma has dismissed Jos Buttler five times in Test cricket. No player has taken his wicket more often. #ENGvIND
84th over: England 251-4 (Root 110; Buttler 6) The watching Kohli will know how Root feels; Root will remember how Kohli feels. Even the best have slumps. Bumrah on the money.
83rd over: England 247-4 (Root 106; Buttler 6) Buttler goes for a cover drive and it chips mid-off by a sheaf of paper. Then Root leans back and glides Ishant, like a man whose flagon is full.
Joe Root's fifth Test century in 2021... one away from the English record of six in a year shared by Denis Compton (1947) Michael Vaughan (2002) ... Mohammad Yousuf's nine in 2006 a little away off still...
82nd over: England 243-4 (Root 106; Buttler 3) Brilliant from Root, who came in on hat-trick ball and stands supreme above all English batsmen. An expensive over from Bumrah: 8 off it including an edge through the slips from Root.
The tightest of tight singles! He takes off his helmet and lifts both arms into the air: 200 balls, 299 minutes, nine fours and gorgeously captivating. He punches the air and grins, and Lord’s grins with him.
81st over: England 235-4 (Root 99; Buttler 2) The new ball is given to Siraj, who puts away his leg-theory and bowls full-length. The first ball yo-yos through the air and Root is beaten by the fourth which wallops into his thigh pad. A square drive off the last so nearly makes the boundary, but a diving Jadeja means he will have to sit on 99.
80th over: England 230-4 (Root 96; Buttler 2) Jadeja likes an lbw shout against Buttler - but a nervous looking Kohli declines the review - it would have bee umpire’s call. And, my friends, we have the new ball.
79th over: England 230-4 (Root 95; Buttler 1) Great tactics from India - with both Root and Bairstow keen to take Siraj on. The wicket means an out-of-touch Buttler will face the new ball and in the far picture, we can see Bumrah warming up.
He falls for the trap! YJB pulls at Siraj and gloves it, bubbling into an arc which Kohli, coming forwards from slip can collect.
78th over: England 228-3 (Root 94; Bairstow 57) Jadeja, fizzing them through flat at just less that 60mph. Pant flicks the bails off his last ball, just for the lols.
77th over: England 226-3 (Root 93; Bairstow 57) Siraj continues with his short-pitched attack. Bairstow takes his eye off one which sears into this shoulder and leaps into the off side. Then Bairstow picks off a boundary with a pull that lacks conviction and isn’t that far from the leaping Pant. England taking on the short stuff here.
76th over: England 220-3 (Root 92; Bairstow 52) Bright sunlight now at Lord’s, Root’s shadow crouching beneath his knees. A single apiece off Jadeja.
YJB: a story.
It was two years ago this weekend that Jonny Bairstow last scored a Test fifty before this. Since then he has been dropped as a keeper, dropped as a player twice (once for more than a year), and rested-and-rotated when he was scoring runs. But he is back, and England need him
75th over: England 218-3 (Root 91; Bairstow 51) Siraj has Root tempted: he hooks and misses, at his first, second, and third ball. He makes it fourth time, hitting down towards fine leg for a single. A plan has been set. Bairstow then shoulders arms awkwardly.
74th over: England 217-3 (Root 90; Bairstow 51) Jadeja resumes after lunch, a short shirt, untucked. Root tucks into a single to enter the 90s. Bairstow doesn’t like something on the pitch and prods with a glare.
Time to resume, with England the happier after an almost perfect session. A pause while an(other) pitch invader, this time in whites, is escorted off the field.
Olly is still mulling over Joe Root, “Good afternoon Tanya. Given that we have a batting coach despite the fact that it takes no more than an A5 notebook to record half the top order’s scores; a bowling coach despite the fact that some of them couldn’t spell “line and length” let alone employ it; a fielding coach despite the fact, if the pitch was a coconut shy, half of them would go home without a goldfish; why not embrace Root as both our best batsman, and our captain, and hire a captaincy coach and help him improve?”
I’m going to grab a sandwich - seven overs to go till the new ball. Back in half an hour!
The Players' Dining Room Menu for Day Three.
What choice would you make? #LoveLords | #ENGvINDpic.twitter.com/2OvbU0Pjlp
72nd over: England 216-3 (Root 89; Bairstow 51) Shami scuttles through the last over before lunch. Root leg-glances for four as Shami sends down a pre-prandial loosener. And that’s salmon sandwiches- 97 runs from the session, and it has been all England as Bairstow leads Root into the Lord’s pavilion. India slowly make their way off - time for a regroup.
72nd over: England 210-3 (Root 84; Bairstow 50) A dab to deep square off Sharma brings up the Bairstow fifty. No roar today, just a raise of the bat and a bump of gloves with Root - who looks genuinely delighted for him. It’s YJB’s 22nd fifty of his 134 Test innings. Really well played - attacking at times, serenely defensive when he had to be. Support for Root, at last.
71st over: England 208-3 (Root 83; Bairstow 49) Shami opens his over with a huge bouncer that screams off the pitch and to the rope. The next is a better ball, which stops Bairstow from hooking, arrowing towards the collar bone. A Root single to Third Man brings up the hundred partnership - good going Yorkies.
70th over: England 201-3 (Root 82; Bairstow 48) Root picks up his bat and glides Sharma past point. It’s simply gorgeous, though it brings only two. Bairstow retorts with an uglier, but more effective, toe-ended cut off a wide one which brings up the 200 to the happy applause of the crowd.
Nice stats for England viewing:
WinViz as it stands:
England - 33%
India - 33%
Draw - 34%#ENGvIND
69th over: England 194-3 (Root 79; Bairstow 44) On the boundary, KL Rahul is unimpressed by the patchwork of champagne corks on the grass. Root edges Shami, one of his least convincing shots of the day.
68th over: England 192-3 (Root 78; Bairstow 43) England’s serene-ish progress continues into the final half hour before lunch. No real risks. No real faux-pas. This time it is KL Rahul who attempts to get the ball changed, but the umpire gives him short shrift. A beauty from Sharma squeezes past Bairstow, before he picks up a couple from a clip towards the Grand Stand.
“If we overlook the current vice-captain, Buttler, we could try it the old-fashioned way,” ponders John Starbuck. “Forget about squeezing the current team for an alternative to Root and instead focus on the county cricket captains (provided they are English enough) and check the stats to find whose win/loss ratio is the best. It worked in 1981.”
67th over: England 187-3 (Root 77; Bairstow 38) It’s the shaven headed Shami from the pavilion end, a scrambled egg napkin hanging out of his waistband. A dab to square leg brings Root a single, then YJB charges two from nothing. In the ECB box, Michael McIntyre is relaxing.
“Hi Tanya.” Hi Nikhilesh Bhattacharya! “News from India is that the youngish Unmukt Chand has retired from Indian cricket to pursue his dreams elsewhere. A follow up report on Cricinfo on this development contained the line, “His IPL clause prevents him from playing any professional cricket over the next three years...” This seems inexplicable to a casual fan like me. Would anyone be able to explain this? How Faustian are these IPL contracts?”
66th over: England 186-3 (Root 77; Bairstow 38) Bumrah gets a rest, and we see the towering figure of Sharma for the first time today. He opens with a no-ball which Root dispatches for a quiet single. Ooof Baristow tries to flick one that wafts down the legside - don’t do that Jonny. He picks up a long-awaited single with a thick edge, is Ishant going to release the pressure Bumrah built up?
65th over: England 182-3 (Root 75; Bairstow 37) YJB has now gone 17 balls without scoring, can he keep that thought out of his head?
64th over: England 181-3 (Root 74; Bairstow 37) Just one off the immaculate Bumrah - India will be able to grab the new ball just after lunch.
“The issue with picking a captain who ‘might score a little, might score a lot’ is that we’ve got 5 of the top 6 batting like this,” taps Graeme Thorn. “There are no other obvious captaincy options (apart from Morgan, but he doesn’t play Tests) so where would we go if we dump Root as skipper?”
63rd over: England 180-3 (Root 73; Bairstow 37) A pleasing symmetry between Root and Bairstow’s scores, as a battle of wills plays out in the middle. India have slowed the scoring and the pressure starts to build. One from Jadeja’s over.
A cease and desist order arrives from Brian Withington.: “Please, please don’t encourage the jinxing gods further with any more of your encouragement for YJB - we all know where that can lead.
62nd over: England 179-3 (Root 71; Bairstow 37) Bumrah has been the most testing bowler this morning. He jags past the outside edge of Root who is pushing to drive, before, next ball, Root delicately sends him outrageously late between first and third slip. Enormously irritating for Bumrah.
61st over: England 174-3 (Root 67; Bairstow 37) A wind starts to blow, ruffling Jadeja’s hair and the shirt of the Bairstow at the non-striker’s end. Root picks up a careful single in to the leg side.
From France, Jeremy Boyce writes: “Nick Parish (58th over). we were talking yesterday about a captain who picked himself on captaincy merit, certainly not on his batting stats. Brearley was a genius who managed the team in a way that was worth runs and wickets he couldn’t possibly have scored or taken. Like the great Derek Randall, might score ten, might score a ton, but worth at least 40 runs per innings for his fielding.”
60th over: England 173-3 (Root 66; Bairstow 37) A testing over from Bumrah, another maiden, YJB looks as nervous as he has all morning. And that is DRINKS!
59th over: England 173-3 (Root 66; Bairstow 37) A dinky Bairstow paddle-sweep sends Jadeja for four - touchingly gentle for a man who always looks ready to burst through his clothes incredible-hulk style. Then a
foolishly cleverquick single to keep India on their toes.
58th over: England 165-3 (Root 65; Bairstow 31) A mid-morning lull has settled over Lord’s: a maiden from Bumrah and a stuffed Kalamata olive from the hamper
“A lot of the complaints about Root’s captaincy - on OBO and elsewhere - have centred on the fact that he isn’t a natural captain and we can’t afford it because it’s damaging the batting of just about our only world class batsman,” mulls Nick Parish. “That might have been true last year, but given he’s batting so well this year, it clearly isn’t any more. And while we might have potentially better captains available, how can we appoint any of them when they aren’t sure of their place in the team on playing merit? Feels to me like Root’s sometimes rather stiff captaincy is overall the lesser of two evils.”
57th over: England 165-3 (Root 65; Bairstow 31) Jadeja, rockstar hair, rolls in with his innocuous looking slow-left arm. Luckily, England aren’t fooled as Root is almost gotchaed by one that slides through.
Guy Hornsby, we’re on the same wave-length.
This feels like such an important innings for YJB @tjaldred. He's got his problems, not least the straight one, but like so many others for England he looks classy then destructs. If he can play each ball on merit anything's possible.*
*(He's going to get out now isn't he)
56th over: England 163-3 (Root 64; Bairstow 30) England opt for the quick singles off Bumrah, and India don’t look 100 per cent alert in the field. Kohli is inscrutable behind his sunglasses. Would it be against OBO etiquette to predict two Yorkshire tons today?
“Two years in Tokyo and just back for a few weeks, looking forward to a smashing day at Lord’s,” writes Rajesh. “Though right now the jam packed train to Marylebone makes me ask if there ever was a pandemic! Fingers crossed for good health of all and for a super tight entertainer today!” Enjoy!
55th over: England 159-3 (Root 61; Bairstow 29) A double change as Ravindra Jadeja presses in from the Pavilion End. Root is wary, and picks up just the single.
54th over: England 158-3 (Root 60; Bairstow 29) Kohli tires of Shami and calls for Bumrah, who sprays his first ball down the legside and past the diving hands of Pant. A single through midwicket brings up the white-rose fifty partnership - off 74 balls. Bumrah redeems himself by sliding a ball past the outside edge of Bairstow’s committed bat. Root now has England’s top three scores in the series, with Rory Burns the next closest with 49.
53rd over: England 153-3 (Root 59; Bairstow 29) Root is perplexed for the first time this morning, beaten by a ball from Siraj and unsure where it has gone. Just a single from the over as India try to stem the morning’s run flow.
And a kind, keen-eyed reader, has spotted that the overseas TMS link lives on the BBC live updates page, just underneath the scorecard. In case you need it.
52nd over: England 152-3 (Root 58; Bairstow 29) Just a couple from Shami’s over as the egg and bacon ties slowly bake in the pavilion sun.
51st over: England 150-3 (Root 57; Bairstow 28) Oh Jonny is in the grove this morning. Another four roars straight through mid-on for a boundary, before a swivel pull brings up the 150.
Has anyone read Charles Sale’s book on the redevelopment of Lord’s: The Covers are Off? An utterly bewildering tale of bad behaviour and petty personal battles - aside from the rightness or wrongness of the various architectural plans.
50th over: England 144-3 (Root 56; Bairstow 23) Athers is interesting, as ever, on Bairstow. Says he bumped into him while filming and they had a chat. Says Bairstow is confident of his method right now and really wants to succeed in Test cricket. And, as if on cue, Bairstow sends Shami through gully for four before bellowing a straight drive to the rope. Then a bewildering hiatus where YJB sees a shadow in the stands and no-one is quite sure what it is that has caught his eye.
Root’s supreme year:
Joe Root in 2021: 1,117 Test runs @ 62, four centuries (inc two doubles), two-half centuries and currently 53*
49th over: England 135-3 (Root 56; Bairstow 15) Root picks up three into the leg side. Sharma decides to try his luck with changing the ball, but the umpire brings out his hoop and the ball slips through without a sigh.
48th over: England 132-3 (Root 53; Bairstow 14) Ooof. Bairstow jiffies Shami off his pads for four, and then goes for a drive and edges it past fifth slip to the boundary. He calls for a new bat and Zac Crawley does the business.
Hi Tanya! Hello Anirvan Dasgupta.
47th over: England 124-3 (Root 53; Bairstow 6) It is Siraj from the pavilion end this morning: Root briefly considers a single but wisely decides it isn’t there. He pulls away from Siraj’s third ball just before he hits the crease, and an lbw appeals follows - but the impact is well outside off stump. And that’s the fifty! With a knee-bend, and a glorious square drive. He gives the bat a little pump into the air as Lord’s bathes in his glory.
46th over: England 120-3 (Root 49; Bairstow 6) Root lets the first ball from Shami pass harmlessly by his off stump. Shami bustles in, ploughman style, as the sun kisses the front rows of the pavilion. Bairstow prods forwards and Root needs just a single for his half-century.
There are still a few gaps in the stands as the players touch their toes one last time before Farokh Engineer rings the five minute bell.
Former Indian cricketer Farokh Engineer will be ringing the five-minute bell at Lord's this morning.#LoveLords | #ENGvIND
Thanks so much to William Hargreaves for doing the business: here’s the link.
Time to make a quick coffee, back in five.
Behind the Sky commentary team, the Lord’s hum can be heard. A man folds his legs to reveal imperial purple socks and somewhere, be still my ears, a champagne cork pops.
Bumble is in a beret. Nick Knight, dapper in a suit, is looking at the pitch: “a green tinge which might encourage something for the seamers. Some balls have kept a bit low, the edges haven’t really carried. Move the slips up a bit.”
Michael Holding advises: BOWL STRAIGHT.
This Test is of course raising money for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. So far an amazing £612,253 has been raised. See below if you would like to donate.
Lord's looks lovely in red ♥️
It's fantastic to see your support and so many going #RedForRuth!
Donate here ➡️ https://t.co/cC67SqiYjD#ENGvsINDpic.twitter.com/RQwomC5Blh
Also this lovely read on Hameed’s time in Wellington.
Much like at Lord’s, @HaseebHameed97’s form-finding trip to NZ in 2019 began with being bowled off the 1st ball he faced. But he left such an impression during his 8-week stay that the Wellington cricket community’s been rooting for him ever since #EngvINDhttps://t.co/l4fD0Vri7A
So much to read today. From Ali’s excellent match report:
Related: Root and Burns steady England ship but India remain in driving seat
Related: Rory Burns endures to aid England while Hameed suffers | Jonathan Liew
Related: Appreciating the gentle beauty of geometry from Edrich stand at Lord’s | Emma John
Good morning! It’s the Saturday of the Lord’s Test - traditionally one of the most hallowed days of the sporting calendar - and the weather is blank-faced in anticipation.
Joe Root and Rory Burns settled England’s batting wobbles yesterday afternoon, though that will bring little comfort to poor Dom Sibley, whose Test days look numbered, or Haseeb Hameed whose 1,717 days of waiting resulted only in brief crushing disappointment. The agony of the walk back. The silence of the dressing room. Oh cricket, you are a cruel bastard.
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