It’s not quite as hot today as it has been the first three days but still very warm, a little bit hazy over head and the pitch has burst into life. Akash Deep from the Pavilion End is getting some steep bounce.
Early warning sign for Root
We’re back from lunch and already there’s some drama. Jurel is up to the stumps, Joe Root nicks, Jurel drops it and then it’s given as a no ball. Not sure of the wisdom of Jurel standing up to the stumps for Joe Root.
No time for lunch to settle in the stomach — it’s lively already.
This is what the players can choose from for lunch. Whilst here in the media centre we are having roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.
So much swing! And Poor Jurel is having a torrid time behind the sticks. I hope he’s getting a proper match fee for this as Rishabh Pant sits with his feet up in the dressing room.
Bumrah changing his angle to Ben Stokes coming round the wicket and Stokes survives a testing over. And that is lunch — an amazing morning session. India have dominated and taken four wickets.
Akash Deep has his tail up after that wicket and is steaming in and there’s a bit of extra carry. Stokes has a wild swipe and he’s been beaten and it’s also beaten the keeper and everybody else and goes for four byes.
The last over before lunch and Gill brings up Bumrah from the Nursery End…
Middle stump = out the ground
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Oh for goodness sake I am going to stop saying nice things about England batsmen because every time I do they get out. Brook has gone and it wasn’t smart stuff from him. He was trying to counter attack and he’s been bowled behind his legs.
England are in deep trouble here.
Brook’s ‘see ball, hit ball’ mentality
Whatever the format, I absolutely love watching Harry Brook batting. Just so uncomplicated in his approach to it. He does have a solid defensive technique but such freedom in his “see ball, hit ball” mentality. There’s a lot to be said for the mentality of “it’s a ball, just hit it”.
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Sorry readers — ignore that bit where I said it had calmed down. It hasn’t. Harry Brook has just taken Akash Deep for 14 in three balls. A ramp to fine leg, a scoop that went even finer and then a six thumped over long-off.
The England white-ball skipper has pulled out all his shots and has clearly decided to try and put some pressure back on the bowlers.
Brook scoops Deep for four
STU FORSTER/GETTY
Root bringing some calmness to proceedings
Things have calmed a little here after that mad first hour. Perhaps it is because the two opening bowlers are off, or because of the calming presence of Joe Root, but there is less steam coming off my laptop keyboard now and I managed to find time to get an iced latte.
Mike Atherton thinks 250 minimum is what England would need to be able to to defend. The ball is still doing stuff particularly from the Nursery End.
Bit of needle from Nitish
Reddy takes the wicket of Crawley for the second time in this Test
CLIVE MASON/GETTY
And another one gone. India are ecstatic as Reddy gets the wicket of Crawley. A loose drive and the edge goes to backward point where Jaiswal takes a good catch. Huge cheer goes up from the India supporting contingent in the crowd.
Out comes Harry Brook who is averaging 58.20 so far in this series. Big challenge for him here.
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That’s the 50 up for England in 85 balls and it’s been an eventful 50. On commentary Dinesh Karthik thinks England need at least 300 to be in this game.
Jurel is up to the stumps for Reddy keeping Crawley in his crease.
Pope’s second-innings struggles
A concerning statistic for Ollie Pope… His first-innings Test average for England is 46.70, but his second-innings average is 20.02. His performance here follows that trend, scoring 44 in his first innings but being dismissed for four today.
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Massive appeal from Siraj for LBW against Pope and he’s persuaded his skipper to review the not-out decision. It’s nipped back in onto Pope’s front pad, nowhere near the bat and IT IS OUT.
Pope is toast — a very good review. Siraj adjusted his line going a bit straighter and the stumps were in play. We’re going to have drinks now and everyone including me needs one after that mad first hour.
Phew.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other?
Siraj and Duckett come together as the Indian bowler celebrates in the England opener’s face
CLIVE MASON/GETTY
Early delays with physio busy
The physio is on the pitch again. Ben Davies is his name and he’s been on telly a lot this morning. Siraj is so fired up and he’s just beaten Pope on the inside of the bat and it flies over the stumps.
Test cricket is so much more fun when the bowlers slightly have the upper hand.
Duckett shows intent by executing the ramp shot for four off Siraj…
GARETH COPLEY/GETTY
… But the opener mistimes a pull shot two balls later straight into the hands of mid-on
CHRIS FOXWELL/SHUTTERSTOCK
Archer will be licking his lips watching this
A mix up in calling and Crawley has to absolutely peg it to the other end. The throw comes in from Jurel but it’s very wide. A poor throw.
There was some evidence yesterday in India’s innings of the pitch being a bit up and down — some flying through to Jamie Smith and some dying.
This is going to be a heck of a challenge for England’s batsmen but they’ll feel like the pitch might get even more up and down later on and tomorrow and Jofra from the Nursery End — if he hits the spot — could be absolutely unplayable.
A wild drive by Crawley off Bumrah gets an inside edge and doesn’t miss the stumps by very much at all.
Danger from both ends at the moment
It’s balls from the Nursery End that are causing the most issue and there appears to be something in the pitch on a length at the Pavilion end of the pitch.
Siraj is absolutely fired up bowling from the Pavilion End and he’s fired two past Crawley who has had a bit of a wild flash but an inside edge through the leg side gets him a couple.
I can’t type fast enough here… something happening every ball.
Uneven bounce causing havoc
And now Pope has been hit on the hand. Very uneven bounce and that makes batting so hard. Lateral movement is one thing, but if you can’t trust the bounce that’s a whole other ball game.
Pope picks up a boundary off Bumrah — it flies for four off the shoulder of the bat. The crowd are getting raucous and what a first half an hour of the day. Both Crawley and Pope have been hit on the hand and the physios are probably going to be earning their money today.
The umpires had a word with Siraj after the wicket — you can’t really shout in someone’s face like he did and you certainly aren’t supposed to have physical contact.
It’s adding some fun spice to this Test all this, but the umpires will have to keep a close eye that it doesn’t spill over into anything worse.
Siraj gets right in the face of Duckett…
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Oh dear — I have totally commentator cursed Duckett there. He’s trudging back to the Pavilion having top edged a hook straight to midwicket for a run a ball 12.
Siraj shouted in his face and then there was some contact — looks like a bit of a shoulder barge. I think the Indian bowler will be in trouble for that. India are cock-a-hoop though.
Here comes Ollie Pope who needs to settle quickly, he has a habit of being a bit skittish early on but he can’t afford that given what’s going on out there.
Duckett is in the mood. Plays an incredible scoop over his left shoulder off Mohammad Siraj. I think with the pitch like this they’ll have decided that attack is the best form of defence.
We could be in for a lot of fun here.
Crawley under major pressure
Oh my word, it’s all going on. A massive edge flies past the slip cordon and then another one rises steeply into Zak Crawley as it kicks off the surface into the glove.
Can’t take your eyes off it so far this morning.
Big shout for LBW. Crawley has been hit on the pad but it was given not out on the field. Gill goes upstairs for a review. First look it might be going down leg and the replay shows it is indeed missing leg. That’s about the only decision I’ve called correctly all match.
Lord’s is just about full already. This place has a very specific hum about it in the morning session — it’s unique to hear, I don’t feel it at any other grounds I go to.
Bumrah gets Crawley on the hand again…
Bumrah gets the ball to spit off the deck onto Crawly’s hand…
ANDY KEARNS/GETTY
… The England opener throws his bat in pain
STU FORSTER/GETTY
Good early signs for India
Early signs this pitch is doing something. An absolute seed by Bumrah — Crawley has to throw his bat after getting hit on the glove from a ball that spat off the pitch and Bumrah races to try and take a catch but can’t get there.
Some early signs of uneven bounce is going to make this entertaining. It’s been a slow, batting friendly deck, but the bowlers will be excited by what they’ve seen so far this morning.
Duckett showing intent… Bazball inbound?
Bumrah opens from the Nursery End and there’s a bit of swing around this morning but Ben Duckett looks like he’s got intent this morning — perhaps a move back from Bazwall to Bazball is on the cards. They’ll want a hefty lead but enough time to take 10 wickets — not an easy equation.
No Pant behind the stumps
And the first ball of the morning goes down the leg side for four byes. Rishabh Pant is not on the field and it is Jurel who is wicket keeping again. Pant hurt his hand in the first innings and whilst he batted, he won’t keep.
The second ball of the morning travels quickly across the lush lovely outfield and goes for two. A little hint of swing.
‘First three days could have been an email’
A mildly amusing comment from one fan on after the first innings scores finished exactly the same: “The first three days of this match could have been an email.”
I hope they turn the stump mics up a bit at the start of play so we can hear what sort of reception Zak Crawley gets from the India players after last night’s theatrics.
Give the man an equity card!
Mithali Raj on five-minute bell duties
The players are making their way out on to the hallowed turf and Mithali Raj, the former India women’s captain and batting superstar, is going to ring the five-minute bell.
Raj, left, is the highest run-scorer in the history of women’s international cricket
ANDREW FOSKER/SHUTTERSTOCK
Another superb knock by KL Rahul on day three
The Indian opening batsman made his second century of the series yesterday in a typically stylish innings, but was dismissed on the next ball he faced, edging to Harry Brook from the bowling of Shoaib Bashir. His hundred yesterday is the 100th instance of a batter being dismissed on 100 in a Test Match innings.
Most Test centuries as an opener in England since 20184 – KL Rahul, 21 innings3 – Ben Duckett, 28 innings2 – Rory Burns, 31 innings2 – Zak Crawley, 34 innings
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceSell-out expected at Lord’s
It’s filling up steadily here at Lord’s. Another full house expected and MCC have sold every last ticket for tomorrow, which is unusual for a day five and tells you just how absorbing this series has been. They were being sold for a very reasonable £25 for adults and £5 for children.
India opening batsman Jaiswal signs some autographs this morning at Lord’s
CHRIS FOXWELL/SHUTTERSTOCK
Southee: India had no issue time-wasting too
Tim Southee, England’s consultant bowling coach, had his say on the last-over antics yesterday and questioned why India’s captain Subman Gill had been quite so animated.
“I’m not quite sure what they were complaining about when Shubman Gill was lying down getting a massage in the middle of the day yesterday,” Southee said. “It’s part of the game, near the end of a long day but it’s always exciting to see both sides animated.
“It’s been a good series played in great spirit — I think it was just a bit of energy at the end of the day. It’s been a long three days and it was good to see the energy still there from both sides there at the end of the day.”
• Read more: Shubman Gill tells Zak Crawley to ‘grow some balls’ in heated final over
Did India cross the line yesterday? Bashir expected to bowl in fourth innings
Good morning everyone. It’s set to be another hot one at Lord’s today and we are poised for a fascinating two days in what is a one-innings straight shootout.
A bit of news from the ECB this morning:
Following his left little finger injury, Shoaib Bashir continues to be monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of this Test. A decision on whether he will bat in the third innings will be made in due course. His involvement in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be assessed at the end of the match.
WATCH: Yesterday’s blockbuster final over in fullCrawley spooks Siraj in heated final over at Lord’s
Make sure you have a listen to Jarrod Kimber’s Super Over before play gets underway today. Yesterday Jarrod was joined by Jeremy Coney, to discuss Zak Crawley’s efforts to waste away the final overs of day three and the ensuing confrontation, India’s reluctance to declare early, and the upcoming one-innings shootout.
Good morning and welcome!
Good morning and welcome to The Times’ coverage of day four of the third Test at Lord’s. We’re in for an exciting day as England resume their second innings after the first-innings scores finished level on 387. Zak Crawly and Ben Duckett are at the crease and are certain to be put under serious pressure by the Indian bowlers after Crawley enraged them with blatant time-wasting yesterday. What sort of a score will England need? Will the conditions today favour the bowling side? Can Crawley finally post a big score? Elizabeth Ammon will be bringing us all the updates and analysis from Lord’s throughout the day, so follow along. Lets get into it