IND vs ENG Highlights, 3rd Test Day 2: India trail by 242 runs after yet another grinding day of Test cricket

IND vs ENG Highlights, India vs England 3rd Test Day 2: Rishabh Pant embraces KL Rahul as the latter celebrates his half-century.

IND vs ENG Highlights, India vs England 3rd Test Day 2: With India behind by 242 runs and England having taken 3 wickets, hard to say which team has their noses ahead — potentially England by a whisker. But a very interesting day of cricket on the second of this Lord's Test, setting up a real battle of wills for its remainder.

The second day of the third Test between India and England at the Lord's Cricket Ground might just be the moving day of the series, where one team is able to take an advantage. Joe Root is eyeing his 37th Test ton as the hosts look to pile on the runs on a slow and sluggish 22 yards. Root has Ben Stokes for company at the other end, and the two experienced campaigners will hope to take England's score past the 400-run mark after being 251/4 at stumps on Day 1. On the other hand, India will eye quick wickets in a bid to bundle out England inside 350.

India were let down by their pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. They were unable to strike consistently, and it says a lot about their performance that the best-performing bowler on the first day was Nitish Kumar Reddy. If not for the all-rounder's effort, the visitors would have been staring down the barrel in the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. 

What happened on Day 1

The first day saw proceedings being shared between the two teams but England would be happier between the two teams as they have their two experienced campaigners on the field in the form of Root and Stokes. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the pick of the Indian bowlers on the opening day as he picked up two wickets, dismissing England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the same over.

Ravindra Jadeja outclassed Ollie Pope, while Bumrah dismissed Harry Brook. England adopted an 'anti-Bazball' approach as they dug their heels in, playing on the merits of the ball. The scoring rate for the first day was just three runs per over, and if you have been following England in the last three years, it would come as a major shock.

After the close of play on Day 1, Ollie Pope said that the hosts are looking to score at least 400-500 runs to create pressure on India. Pope was involved in a stand of more than 100 runs for the third wicket with Joe Root. However, the former lost his wicket on the very first ball of the third session as he was sent packing by Jadeja. 

India's record at Lord's

India have played 19 Tests at Lord’s before the ongoing match, winning only 3. 12 matches ended in defeat for India while the remaining four saw draws being forced. In their previous Test against the Three Lions in 2021 at the home of cricket, India registered a memorable win under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.