Boring: Shubman Gill lands brutal dig at England's slowest session in Bazball era
The India skipper appeared to be trying to unsettle the batters, who were scoring at less than three runs per over. Despite not losing a wicket in the session, England managed just 73 runs at 2.92 per over-marking their second-slowest scoring rate in a session at home during the Bazball era. Their slowest (2.72) came against New Zealand at Lord's in 2022.Earlier in the day, fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had also taken a dig at Root, urging him to "play Bazball" mid-over.Under the leadership of Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England have earned a reputation for fearless, attacking cricket. But the surface at Lord's offered more for the bowlers than the flatter pitches seen in Leeds or Birmingham, prompting a more circumspect approach.Their first session score of 75 for 2 was the lowest first-innings total in the opening session of a home Test since Bazball began.ENGLAND DITCH BAZBALLOpeners Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett-known for their aggressive starts-took a more measured route. They successfully saw off the new-ball threat from Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Siraj.However, all their early efforts were undone shortly after the drinks break. Both openers fell in the same over to part-time pacer Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was bowling with the new ball for the first time on tour. His twin strikes completely shifted the momentum.Gill's gamble to introduce Nitish Reddy paid off handsomely and showcased his sharp captaincy.While England appeared unusually cautious, credit also went to India's bowling attack, which maintained disciplined lines and lengths, denying the batters easy scoring opportunities. Bumrah, returning to the side after a rest in Birmingham, bowled tightly despite going wicketless in the first session. Siraj was tidy, and Nitish Reddy added a surprising dimension to the pace attack.advertisementAkash Deep, fresh off a 10-wicket haul in Birmingham, was the only bowler to concede runs at over 3.5 per over, as he failed to find his rhythm from the Pavilion End.England reached Tea at 153 for 2, but slipped into trouble soon after. Ravindra Jadeja struck in the first over of the final session, dismissing Ollie Pope. Moments later, Bumrah finally broke through, delivering a peach of a delivery to remove World No. 1 batter Harry Brook as England slumped to 172 for 4.Joe Root, steady as ever, combined with captain Ben Stokes to guide England past 200 without further damage by stumps-closing out a gripping first day of the Test match.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like
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