ENG vs IND 3rd Test Session 2: Root, Pope refuse Bazball but keep ENG ahead

The innings' second session has been the slowest by run rate for England since the arrival of Bazball

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The famous Bazball cricket of England has so far been missing in the third Test against India at Lord’s after two sessions, as the home side has scored only 153 runs for the loss of two wickets after 49 overs. However, despite not scoring runs at their usual pace, the English side has kept itself in a commanding position after a wicketless second session.

 

In the second session, Indian pacers kept the pressure on the English side. India conceded just 33 runs in the first 15 overs of the session, which included an incredible 27-dot-ball spree. The pace quartet of India in the match — Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy — kept bowling with line variations to keep England guessing. But despite being chained down, the English pair of Root and Pope refused to give up their wickets and stood silently defending everything India threw at them. 

 

Meanwhile, Root completed his 66th Test fifty and crossed 3,000 Test runs against India to keep his personal accolades rolling. By the end of the second session, they had added 70 runs without the loss of any wicket, as Joe Root (53 not out) and Ollie Pope (43 not out) will be the two English batters starting the third session as well.

 

India also suffered a huge blow in the session after their vice-captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant walked off the field due to injury, being replaced by Dhruv Jurel as substitute keeper. There is no official report on how severe Pant’s injury is, or whether he will come out to bat, but the Indian management will hope it is just a minor niggle. Given the form Pant is in with the bat, it would be a big loss for the Indian batting order, which is looking to take the lead in the series by winning the match.

 

Earlier, English skipper Ben Stokes won the toss for the third straight time in the series but, unlike in the first two Tests, opted to bat first at Lord’s. England started well in the first hour, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett denying the frontline Indian pacers any chance of success while scoring at a steady pace. They added 43 runs for the first wicket before Nitish Reddy, who was brought into the attack right after the first drinks break of the day, removed Ben Duckett (18) and Zak Crawley (23) in the same over, as England lost both its openers in a span of just three balls.

 

However, Joe Root and Ollie Pope then went on to add an unbeaten 39 runs for the third wicket to avoid any more damage for the hosts, taking England’s total after the first session to 83 for 2.

 

England 1st innings scorecard at tea on Day 1: 

England 1st Inning
153-2 (49 ov) CRR:3.12
Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Zak Crawley	c R Pant b N K Reddy	18	43	4	0	41.86
Ben Duckett	c R Pant b N K Reddy	23	40	3	0	57.5
Ollie Pope	Not out	44	103	4	0	42.72
Joe Root	Not out	54	109	7	0	49.54
Extras	14 (b 4, Ib 9, w 0, nb 1, p 0)
Total	153 (2 wkts, 49 Ov)
Bowler	O	M	R	W	NB	ECO
Jasprit Bumrah	13	2	21	0	0	1.62
Akash Deep	12	2	55	0	1	4.58
Mohammed Siraj	11	5	25	0	0	2.27
Nitish Kumar Reddy	11	0	35	2	0	3.18
Ravindra Jadeja	1	0	2	0	0	2
Washington Sundar	1	0	2	0	0	2