England Seize Control at Lord’s After India Slip to 58 for 4

With the end of Day 4 of the third Test match between England and India at Lord’s, London, on July 13, 2025, the game was finely poised, setting the stage for an exciting final day. Both teams ended the first innings with identical totals of 387, but England’s second innings folded for 192, leaving India with a target of 193 to chase. By stumps, India were 58/4 in 17.4 overs, needing 135 more runs with six wickets in hand, while England were desperate for early breakthroughs.

England Stumbles in the Second Innings

Day 4 began with England resuming their second innings at 2/0, leading by just 2 runs, with Zak Crawley (2) and Ben Duckett (0) at the crease. India’s bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, came out with intent, exploiting a pitch that offered variable bounce and seam movement. The morning session proved decisive, as India claimed four crucial wickets, tilting the game in their favour.

Mohammed Siraj struck the first blow in the 5.5th over, dismissing Duckett for 12, caught by Bumrah at mid-on after a fiery send-off that saw Siraj warned by the umpires. Crawley followed in the 14.4th over, edging Nitish Kumar Reddy to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully for 22. Siraj then trapped Ollie Pope lbw for 4 in the 11.6th over, a decision upheld on review, leaving England at 42/2. The big scalp came when Akash Deep bowled Harry Brook for 23 in the 21.3rd over, a sharp delivery that knocked back the stumps, reducing England to 87/4. Brook’s 31-minute cameo included four fours and a six, but his departure ended any hopes of a quick counterattack.

Joe Root, England’s mainstay, fought hard, scoring 40 off 96 balls, but India’s bowlers kept the pressure on. By lunch, England were 98/4 in 25 overs, with Root (17) and Ben Stokes (2) holding fort, leading by 98 runs. India’s disciplined bowling, with Siraj (2/31) and Akash Deep (1/30) leading the charge, ensured England couldn’t break free, setting a challenging tone for the session.

The post-lunch session saw India tighten their grip, with Washington Sundar emerging as the star. England, resuming at 98/4, struggled against India’s varied attack. Root and Stokes added 56 runs for the fifth wicket, but Sundar broke through in the 42.4th over, bowling Root for 40 with a beauty that spun past the edge to hit the stumps. The dismissal was a massive blow, as Root’s 140-minute resistance had kept England afloat.

Sundar struck again in the 46.2nd over, dismissing Jamie Smith for 8, bowled by a sharp off-break that ended a brief 10-run stand. England were now 164/6, and the momentum was firmly with India. Stokes, battling a finger injury, showed resilience, scoring 33 off 96 balls with three fours, but Sundar removed him in the 54.3rd over, clean-bowled by a turning delivery. The England captain’s 137-minute vigil ended, leaving England at 181/7.

Bumrah returned to mop up the tail, dismissing Brydon Carse for 1 in the 55.1st over and Chris Woakes for 10 in the 57.3rd over, both bowled by searing deliveries. Sundar sealed the innings in the 62.1st over, bowling Shoaib Bashir for 2, as England were all out for 192 in 62.1 overs. Sundar’s 4/22 in 12.1 overs was the standout performance, supported by Bumrah (2/38), Siraj (2/31), Akash Deep (1/30), and Nitish Reddy (1/20). England’s extras (32, including 25 byes) inflated their total, but their batting collapse handed India a chaseable target of 193. The session saw England lose 6 wickets for 94 runs, with a run rate of 3.08, highlighting India’s dominance.

Brydon Carse Gets England Back in the Game

India began their chase of 193, needing a solid start to secure a 2-1 series lead. However, England’s bowlers, buoyed by the modest target, struck early to keep the game alive. Jofra Archer set the tone in the 1.4th over, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a seven-ball duck, caught by Jamie Smith behind the stumps. India were 5/1, and the pressure was on.

KL Rahul, fresh off a first-innings hundred, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 33 off 47 balls, including six fours. His classy cover drives and deft placements kept India ticking, but wickets fell around him. Karun Nair, batting at No. 3, scored 14 off 33 before being trapped lbw by Brydon Carse in the 12.3rd over, a poor decision not to play a shot. India reached 41/2, and the loss of captain Shubman Gill for 6 in the 14.6th over, lbw to Carse after a failed review, left them at 53/3. Gill’s brief stay included one four, but his dismissal was a setback.

Akash Deep, sent in as a nightwatchman, managed just 1 off 11 before Ben Stokes bowled him in the 17.4th over, a sharp delivery that nipped back to hit the stumps. India ended the day at 58/4 in 17.4 overs, with a run rate of 3.28. Rahul’s 70.21 strike rate and composed batting offered hope, but with 135 runs still needed, England’s bowlers, led by Carse (2/11), Stokes (1/15), and Archer (1/18), kept the contest tight. Chris Woakes (0/11) was economical, and the hosts’ disciplined lines ensured India couldn’t relax.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Day

For the Indian team, the dismissal of Ollie Pope on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s on July 13, 2025, was a game-changing moment in England’s second innings. In the 11.6th over, Mohammed Siraj produced a gem to remove Pope for 4 off 17 balls, leaving England at 42/2. Bowling with fire, Siraj delivered a wobble-seam ball that landed on a good length around the fourth stump. Pope, attempting a straight defence, was beaten on the inside edge as the ball jagged in, striking high on his front knee roll.

Initially, umpire Paul Reiffel gave it not out, prompting a passionate appeal from Siraj, who was certain of the wicket. Despite hesitation, captain Shubman Gill trusted Siraj’s conviction and called for a DRS review. Hawk-Eye confirmed the ball would have smashed the top of middle and leg, overturning the decision and sparking wild celebrations from Siraj. Pope’s 30-minute stay ended with England’s lead at just 42, putting India in a strong position.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

To get the TCNI’s Hero of the Day award, Washington Sundar delivered a match-defining performance with the ball on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s on July 13, 2025. The off-spinner’s sensational 4/22 in 12.1 overs dismantled England’s second innings, restricting them to 192 in 62.1 overs and setting India a chaseable target of 193. Sundar’s heroics began with the crucial wicket of Joe Root (40 off 96), bowled by a turning delivery in the 42.4th over, breaking a 67-run stand.

He followed up by dismissing Jamie Smith (8 off 14) in the 46.2nd over and Ben Stokes (33 off 96) in the 54.3rd over, both bowled by sharp off-breaks that exploited the pitch’s spin. His final blow came in the 62.1st over, removing Shoaib Bashir (2 off 9) to end England’s innings. Sundar’s economical spell, with a stingy economy rate of 1.80, choked England’s scoring, as they managed only a 3.08 run rate. His ability to pick important wickets, including England’s key batsmen, shifted the momentum firmly in India’s favor, leaving them needing 135 runs with six wickets in hand at stumps.

What to Expect on Day 5 of the Test Match?

With the series level at 1-1 after India’s 336-run win at Edgbaston and England’s five-wicket victory at Leeds, this Test was critical. England’s 192 set a target that was neither daunting nor easy, and India’s 58/4 kept the game on a knife’s edge. Rahul’s presence, alongside Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja yet to bat, gave India hope, but England’s bowlers, particularly Archer and Stokes, posed a threat. The final day promises a thrilling finish, with India needing a measured approach and England banking on early wickets to pull off an upset.