ENG vs IND 2025, 3rd Test Day 2 Review: Root’s 37th Test ton, Jasprit Bumrah’s maiden Lord’s five-for grab limelight on slow-moving day at Lord’s

While England had a strong start to the day, with Root reaching a personal milestone, Jasprit Bumrah soon reversed the tide in India’s favour, taking three wickets in seven balls.

Day 2 of the third Test between India and England at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London was an attritional affair as both teams attempted to shift the tide in their favour. However, the game remains intriguingly poised for Day 3.

Joe Root scored his 37th Test century with a streaky hit off the opening ball of the day, which sailed to the boundary past gully. He became only the third hitter to score three hundreds in a row at Lord’s.

He began by dismissing Ben Stokes on his fifth over of the day. In his next over, the right-arm pacer sent Root (104) and Chris Woakes (0) back to the hut with consecutive deliveries. From 260/4, England fell to 271/7.

KL Rahul gave Jamie Smith a respite when he was on five. The in-form wicketkeeper batsman made India pay with a quickfire half-century. He quickly built an 84-run partnership with Brydon Carse, who also scored his first international fifty. Mohammed Siraj emerged victorious against the two players, demonstrating tenacity and drive in difficult circumstances. Meanwhile, Bumrah dismissed Jofra Archer for his first five-wicket haul at the Home of Cricket.

England was bowled out for 387 in 112.3 overs. In addition to Jasprit Bumrah five wickets, Siraj and Nitish Kumar Reddy each took two.

In response, Yashasvi Jaiswal got out to a fast start, hitting three boundaries before succumbing to the returning Archer. The Mumbai batsman scored 13 runs from eight balls before retiring to the pavilion. Karun Nair joined KL Rahul in the middle, and the two combined for a crucial 61-run stand. Nair fought hard to reach 40 runs off 62 balls, but his innings was cut short by Joe Root’s sensational one-handed catch at first slip.

Chris Woakes wasn’t at his best, but dismissing the in-form Shubman Gill for 16 gave him a huge lift in confidence. Smith was standing up to the stumps to prevent Gill from standing beyond the crease and negating the swing that was on offer. The move paid off as the Punjab batsman slipped one through to the keeper, who made no mistake.