IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Lord's Test on a knife's edge - KL Rahul key for India in final-day chase
NEW DELHI: India's chase of 193 for victory took a dramatic turn late on Day 4 at Lord's as England captain Ben Stokes dismissed nightwatchman Akash Deep off the final ball of the day, leaving the visitors wobbling at 58/4 - still needing 135 runs to win with six wickets in hand.
Score: India vs England 3rd Test
India's innings began on the back foot after Jofra Archer removed Yashasvi Jaiswal for a seven-ball duck in just the second over. The early breakthrough brought Karun Nair to the crease to join KL Rahul, and the pair cautiously rebuilt under rising pressure.
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Nair and Rahul added 36 for the second wicket before Brydon Carse injected life into England's fightback with two big wickets in back-to-back overs.
First, he trapped Nair LBW for 14, ending a 33-ball stay. Then he produced a near-perfect delivery to dismiss India captain Shubman Gill, also LBW, for just 6.
Why Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah lost their cool in last five minutes of Day 3 vs England
Rahul, India's first-innings centurion, remained unbeaten on 33 off 47 balls, holding the innings together with a composed knock that included six boundaries.
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However, the day belonged to Stokes in the end, as the England skipper struck with the final delivery — castling Akash Deep to put the hosts firmly back in the contest.
Earlier, Washington Sundar produced a superb spell of off-spin to claim 4/22 and dismantle England's middle and lower order. After England had recovered to 154/4 through a 67-run stand between Joe Root (40) and Stokes (33), Sundar dismissed both set batters within 20 runs of each other.
Root was bowled behind his legs while attempting a sweep, and Stokes fell attempting an ugly slog that shattered his stumps — prompting a frustrated reaction from the captain.
Jamie Smith and Shoaib Bashir also fell to Sundar, while Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with two late wickets, including a searing yorker to dismiss Brydon Carse and a peach to knock over Chris Woakes.
England's second innings folded for 192, setting India 193 to win the Test and take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The tense closing stages of Day 4, capped by Stokes' late strike, have now left the Test hanging on a knife's edge, setting up a blockbuster Day 5 at the Home of Cricket.
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