Lord’s holds a special place in K.L. Rahul’s heart. The last time he played Test cricket here, back in 2021, Rahul went on to score a century and eventually paved the way for India’s convincing victory.
Four years later, he underlined his affinity for the iconic venue with another 100 (177b; 13×4), and shared a 141-run stand for the fourth wicket with Rishabh Pant en route India’s first innings total of 387.
If Rahul and Pant led the foundation, it was Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty 131-ball-72 that kept India in the hunt. Seesawing momentum, however, saw India lose its last four wickets for just 11 runs, missing out on the chance to take the first innings lead.
England batted for just one over, ending the day with two runs on the board for no loss. Things got a little heated in the dying minutes of the day. Zak Crawley, attempting to drag out the day as much as possible, copped a blow to the hand. India’s sarcastic applause drew some back and forth between the side and the English openers. The host will be relieved to come away from a tense over unscathed.
Immaculate discipline
With the wicket offering next to nothing in the opening session, a cautious Rahul showed immaculate discipline before breaking the shackles. In a near-flawless innings, Rahul tested the patience of the bowlers, while Pant (74 , 112b; 8×4, 2×6), true to his reputation, played some cheeky shots, despite nursing a left index finger injury.
Jofra Archer was all about speed, even bowling his fastest spell in home Tests, but he erred with his line early on. Pant was happy to take advantage of that with a flick to fine leg before dancing down the track to smack one over the infield. Archer stuck to his speed strategy, consistently clocking speeds of 140kmph with India unable to score a single run in 31 deliveries.
Rahul eventually went on the attacking mode with a flurry of boundaries in Brydon Carse’s over. And once the pressure eased, Rahul and Pant backed their natural game to build on.
England changed the second ball of the match in a span of 11 overs, and captain Ben Stokes chose to go with the short-ball ploy. Pant was happy to play along, racing to his half-century by hooking Stokes over fine leg for a six, and eventually eclipsed Vivian Richards’ record of most sixes (34) against England in Tests.
Twin blows
Pant adeptly handled England’s switch to spin, welcoming Shoaib Bashir with a six down the ground. While the pair looked set to consolidate for India, England broke through right before lunch.
As the temperature soared and a packed Lord’s chanted his name on Saturday afternoon, Jofra Archer bowled the fastest over of his Test career, clocking 150 kmph, 150 kmph, 149 kmph, 146 kmph, 148 kmph and 148 kmph as Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled to pick his short-pitched deliveries.
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As the temperature soared and a packed Lord’s chanted his name on Saturday afternoon, Jofra Archer bowled the fastest over of his Test career, clocking 150 kmph, 150 kmph, 149 kmph, 146 kmph, 148 kmph and 148 kmph as Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled to pick his short-pitched deliveries.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
Batting on 98, Rahul was eager to get on strike and in the process, called for a tricky single after Pant defended a Bashir delivery to the off-side. Sensing Pant’s hesitation, Stokes ran in from covers and a direct throw at the non-striker’s end brought the curtains down on gritty pain-defying innings.
Rahul went on to get that ton, his 10th in Tests, but fell to Bashir soon after. The quick loss of two wickets did not faze Jadeja or Nitish Kumar Reddy. The duo overcame a number of nervy moments and survived at least three run-out chances to forge a 72-run stand.
Despite Archer’s imperious post lunch spell, which saw him touch speeds of 150 kmph, Jadeja defied England, stitching key partnerships with Nitish and Washington Sundar to ensure that India ended the day on level terms.
