Stokes Conjures England Magic To Halt India And Put Third Test On Knife-edge

It has been a reliable aged bid for England’s bowlers. As good arsenic wrestling pinch docile pitches and doughy Dukes balls successful a lengthy heatwave, they person travel up against an India batting lineup that is rich | pinch talent and earnestly gutsy pinch it. The upshot has been perspiration outstripping inspiration by immoderate margin.

Not that those 2 elements are mutually exclusive and successful Ben Stokes, England person a cricketer who thrives connected delivering both. On nan 3rd time of this pivotal 3rd Test, arsenic India were bowled retired for 387, nan scores dormant level connected first innings, and nan hosts were thankful for their captain’s expertise to conjure thing from nothing. At stumps, closing connected 2 for nary loss, his broadside were conscionable astir backmost successful nan container spot because of it.

The first was a viral-worthy tally retired erstwhile a wicketless greeting was wrong rubbing distance, India having added 103 runs to their overnight 145 for three. Possibly driven to get KL Rahul connected onslaught and frankincense his period earlier nan break, Rishabh Pant dead-batted an intended azygous and concisely hesitated aft mounting off, only for Stokes to swoop successful from screen and deed nan bullseye successful 1 fluid motion.

What made it each nan much singular was nan truth that Stokes was caller – aliases alternatively thing but caller – from a five-over burst of bouncers successful 30C heat, hitting 90mph connected nan velocity weapon done sheer heft. Given nan struggle for wickets retired there, his mind doubtless whirring from this, it was a superb operation of consciousness and athleticism.

Rishabh Pant is tally retired by Ben Stokes. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images

The England skipper is delighted astatine breaking England’s wicket drought successful nan past complete earlier lunch. Photograph: Andy Kearns/Getty Images

The 2nd came aft beverage pinch nan 2nd caller shot when, against nan tally of play, Stokes collapsed a troubling sixth-wicket guidelines of 72 runs betwixt Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy erstwhile he extracted immoderate other assistance from nan aboveground and nan second edged behind. Stokes had already clanged Reddy connected nan helmet and it took nan bowling coach, Tim Southee, rushing down from nan pavilion to telephone clip connected a seven-over spell.

But for those 2 moments from Stokes, and a frantic transition aft luncheon erstwhile Shoaib Bashir outfoxed Rahul to unopen down a wonderfully neat 100, England mightiness good person been batted retired of this Test match. As it is, pursuing an evening convention successful which England fought backmost to declare 5 for 71, a one-innings shootout has bubbled up. How nan hosts fare pinch nan bat connected time 4 will apt determine this one.

India will person a fewer regrets. The visitors had been building ominously earlier Pant’s brain-fade connected 74, pinch Rahul’s 10th Test period – his 2nd astatine Lord’s – a masterclass successful precision and style. The wiry right-hander almost seems calved to bat successful England, specified is his diligence extracurricular off-stump and expertise to caress nan shot square. He was undone by immoderate exquisite dip from Bashir and edged to slip.

Thereafter, and contempt astatine slightest 3 much flirtations pinch tally outs, India owed plentifulness to their premier all-rounder. Supported by Reddy, and overcoming immoderate superior power from Jofra Archer, Ravindra Jadeja compiled 72 from 131 balls and erstwhile again brought retired his flamboyant Rajput beard ceremony upon reaching his half century.

But having turned 254 for 5 astatine nan autumn of Rahul’s wicket into 376 for six, Jadeja fell to a leg-side strangle disconnected nan antecedently struggling Chris Woakes – nan first of 4 wickets to autumn for 11 runs that snuffed retired nan innings. Just 1 complete followed successful England’s 3rd innings arsenic Zak Crawley made a bid for an Oscar pinch immoderate cynical time-wasting.