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<\/p>\nThat\u2019s the lunch break. England reach the break on 353 for seven after Smith and Carse helped the hosts rebuild. The first hour definitely belonged to India, but England have had the better of it in the second half of that session. <\/p>\n
And here\u2019s what I am having \u2014 duck curry, potatoes and a crab masala salad for the press. Nom nom. <\/p>\n
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That is 50 for Jamie Smith, continuing his fabulous form. It\u2019s come from 52 balls and he\u2019s looking in great nick. England have passed 350 and after a lively first hour, the second one has been much more in England\u2019s favour. <\/p>\n
Here is the far from straightforward deal on where Rishabh Pant can bat, having been off the field for so long. Had his injury been a thigh strain or a twisted ankle, he wouldn\u2019t be able to bat until No7. However, because it is an \u201cexternal injury\u201d, he can bat at whatever number they want him to. Totally logical, eh?<\/p>\n
Normal service has resumed<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not surprised Gill doesn\u2019t like this ball. This partnership has raced to 63 from 13.3 overs \u2014 Smith has returned Bazball to proceedings. <\/p>\n
Carse flashes one through square on the off side and it scampers away for four, bringing up a handy partnership of 52 runs off 72 balls. He and Smith have steadied the ship well after the Bumrah onslaught.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a man of many talents, our Jamie Smith. Serious batsman, talented keeper, and apparently a handy footballer, if this photo is anything to go by\u2026 Earlier today he almost dragged on, and employed his best football skills to try and keep it away from the stumps. <\/p>\n
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Gill is very, very unhappy about the ball change. It looks like it wasn\u2019t India who asked for it to be changed\u2026 it was the umpires. The Indian captain is remonstrating with the officials now. I\u2019m not surprised he\u2019s cross \u2014 the original ball was rampaging through England, and this one looks far older than it should.<\/p>\n
That is drinks after an eventful first hour of the day. I haven\u2019t even had time to get my usual iced mocha from our lovely press box barista. <\/p>\n
Bumrah has been causing all sorts of problems, and the pitch is certainly still doing a bit. England need Smith to do a bit of a repeat of his Edgbaston heroics to get them towards 400. <\/p>\n
The ball was changed even though it was only ten overs old. Bit weird, given it was getting wickets. <\/p>\n
Just a bit of news on the players not in the XI \u2014 Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton and Sam Cook are due to play in the T20 Blast tonight and Sunday. <\/p>\n
And there is a chance that Gus Atkinson plays some club cricket for Spencer CC in the Surrey Premier League next weekend, when there is a gap between Test matches. His progress is still being assessed, but a little outing in what is decent standard club cricket with a red ball (rather than playing a Blast match or two) might be good for his workloads.<\/p>\n
Brydon Carse has been having all sorts of trouble with the big toe on his right foot. It kept him out of action at the start of this season, and means he often has problems with his bowling boots. He even considered getting the toe amputated it was giving him so much grief.<\/p>\n
He has a boot deal with New Balance, and the ECB took loads of pairs down to a specialist cobbler to remould them to make them more comfortable. It\u2019s all in aid of stopping his toe getting what someone close to Carse described as \u201cmanky\u201d.<\/p>\n
Here we go \u2014 we\u2019re having a ball change again. It\u2019s only ten overs old and it\u2019s already gone out of shape so it\u2019s being changed. It\u2019s starting to be a real issue, not least because it just keeps causing delays and affecting the over rate.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what they\u2019re expecting to be consumed at Lord\u2019s today\u2026<\/p>\n
Headline figures6,000 plain scones, 6,000 fruit scones8,500 bottles of Veuve Clicquot <\/p>\n
Brydon Carse survives the hat-trick ball, defends in front of his pads to a ball that is trailing back in on him. <\/p>\n
This is fabulous stuff by Bumrah, he has got the ball doing all sorts and is being masterful in his change of angles and lengths. There\u2019s a reason he\u2019s the number one ranked bowler in the world \u2014 what a master.<\/p>\n
Jasprit Bumrah is on a hat-trick. Chris Woakes goes for a golden duck after edging behind, confirmed by UltraEdge after Gill sent it upstairs. The world\u2019s best bowler is on fire.<\/p>\n
Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Joe Root is gone for 104. Another beauty from Bumrah \u2013 it\u2019s a full ball that\u2019s nipped back a fair bit and the middle stump is gone. England are 271 for six.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Crikey \u2013 it\u2019s all happening! KL Rahul has dropped a bit of a dolly in the slip cordon off Jamie Smith. It was a slightly awkward height but one he really should take. Mohammed Siraj won\u2019t be happy with that.<\/p>\n Ben Stokes is out for 44, clean bowled through the gate by a Bumrah beauty. Off stump is flattened, and the England captain has to go. <\/p>\n England are 260 for five. Jamie Smith joins Root in the middle.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Straight away, Joe Root reaches his 37th Test hundred, with a flash through third slip for four off the first ball of the day. It\u2019s come off 192 deliveries, and is his eighth at Lord\u2019s.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies once<\/p>\n Joe Root is on strike, and Jasprit Bumrah has the ball.<\/p>\n The players and representatives from the Ruth Strauss foundation have formed a heart outside the pavilion. The players are in special foundation shirts, complete with red lettering and red caps, which will be auctioned off to raise funds. <\/p>\n Jerusalem has played and everyone is out in the middle ready for what should be another intriguing day of cricket in the blazing sunshine here in northwest London.<\/p>\n First things first \u2014 Joe Root needs just one run to get his 37th test match hundred.<\/p>\n What impact will a potential Ben Stokes injury have on England\u2019s chances?<\/p>\n Stokes is fine to resume this morning, but if his injury were to play up again, what would that mean for the rest of this Test match and indeed series?<\/p>\n Neil Manthorp, Jeremy Coney and Steve Harmison break down the play from day one.<\/p>\n Wonder if Joe Root had a good night\u2019s sleep?<\/p>\n As I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard, Joe Root was unbeaten on 99 at close of play last night. It\u2019s the 17th time that a batsman has gone to bed on that score, and on every other occasion, they\u2019ve returned to the middle the next morning and made their ton.<\/p>\n No pressure, Joe.<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceRejoice \u2013 Ben Stokes is fine<\/p>\n Good news for England supporters. Stokes is absolutely fine. He\u2019s bowled four overs this morning and he\u2019s fine. He\u2019s totally fine. Yesterday might just have been general pains of being an international cricketer. Cricket hurts.<\/p>\n It\u2019s absolutely cracking the flags at Lord\u2019s, and again the place looks marvellous. <\/p>\n CHRIS FOXWELL\/PROSPORTS\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n GRAHAM HUNT\/PROSPORTS\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n A bit more from Sir Andrew Strauss via Sky Sports on the importance of the work of the Ruth Strauss Foundation\u2026<\/p>\n Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager.<\/a><\/p>\n Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceBen Stokes fine to resume innings<\/p>\n Ben Stokes is fine to resume his innings today, he\u2019s had a bit of a net and seems OK. However, there\u2019s no firm news on whether he will be able to bowl when England take to the field, but it seems the issue is manageable and not too serious.<\/p>\n It\u2019s another absolutely full house today at Lord\u2019s, not a ticket to be had.<\/p>\n Stokes is 39 not out overnight, and looked to be moving gingerly late yesterday<\/p>\n GRAHAM HUNT\/PROSPORTS\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n Ollie Pope needs to get his head right \u2014 both technically and mentally<\/p>\n Steve James<\/p>\n England\u2019s No3 has much to work on despite crawling to 44, not least stopping his head toppling to the off side and finding a way to start less skittishly.<\/p>\n Read the full article here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The day England left Bazball in the pavilion and turned serious<\/p>\n Simon Wilde, Lord\u2019s<\/p>\n When Ben Stokes won the toss and said he was not going to field on a bright, sultry morning, the Lord\u2019s crowd gave off a mighty cheer. The response may have been partly ironic after the England captain\u2019s bowl-first blooper in Birmingham, but there was also genuine enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing the Bazballers wield the bat on such a glorious day, one surely made for runscoring.<\/p>\n It did not quite turn out like that.<\/p>\n This was Bazball bound. Even when Crawley and Duckett departed in the space of an over, Ollie Pope and Joe Root took up the cause with all the solemnity of undertakers. There were no scoops, no paddles, no sixes. England messed up badly at Edgbaston and they were determined not to mess up again. The series depended upon it.<\/p>\n Read the full piece here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Root\u2019s classical artistry steadies England <\/p>\n Mike Atherton, Lord\u2019s <\/p>\n Never before have the Bazballers made so few in a day\u2019s worth of batting, finishing on 251 for four with Joe Root unbeaten on 99, tantalisingly close to giving the subdued crowd a late moment to raise a cheer.<\/p>\n It was no surprise on such a day that England relied on Root<\/a>, their most classical artist and someone reared on timeless principles of sideways play, to keep the ship afloat.<\/p>\n![\"England](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/\/be105589-ee28-4ccf-911e-a8b85b00c999.jpg\")
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