Credit: ICC
Spin bowler Washington Sundar turned out to be a star for India on day for of the third Test against England at Lords Cricket Ground in London. The right-arm off-spinner played a crucial role in clearing England’s middle-order by taking big wickets of players like Joe Root, skipper Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith. With the help of Sundar’s spell along with crucial wickets by Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Nitish Kumar Reddy as India bowled England out for 192 runs giving India a target of 193 runs to win Lords Test and take a lead of 2-1 in the series.
It has been a tough fight so far as both England and India got out on the same score in their respective first innings. After bowling England out for 387 runs, India were also bowled out for 387 runs in their first innings as none of the teams got a lead of even a single run in the first innings. In the second innings, the Indian bowlers did a great job in the first session of day four as England were reduced to 87/4. After that, Joe Root and Ben Stokes put up a partnership of 67 runs with captain Ben Stokes.
Washington Sundar’s spell followed by Jasprit Bumrah’s late heroics put India on front foot in Lords Test
At the start of the day, Mohammed Siraj played crucial role in giving first two breakthrough inside 12 overs as he dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope respectively. After that, Nitish Kumar Reddy took charge to dismiss Zak Crawley, followed by Akash Deep’s delivery to get rid of Harry Brook. After that, Joe Root (40 off 96) and Ben Stokes (33 off 96) frustrated the Indian bowlers with their partnership but before the things go too far, Washington Sundar stepped in the right time to dismiss dangerous Root by clearing his stumps. After he also dismissed Jamie Smith cheaply followed by another big wicket of English captain.
Just a next over after Stokes’ dismissal, star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah who got a five-wicket haul in the first innings also got his first wicket in the second innings. The right-arm pacer cleared Brydon Carse’s stumps as England lost their eighth wicket. After one over, Bumrah struck again as Chris Woakes got out with 10 runs to his name. At last, it was Washington Sundar who took the final wicket dismissing Shoaib Bashir. The right-arm off spinner registered figures of 4/22 in spell of 12.1 overs. Apart from that, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each while Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy scalped a wicket each.
