Washington Sundar Shines as India Battles at Lord’s on Day 4 of Third Test
After the Indian pacers had made their mark earlier in the England tour, it was the turn of spinner Washington Sundar to take the spotlight on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s. The off-spinner put on a masterclass, finishing with impressive figures of 4 wickets for 22 runs in just over 12 overs, helping bowl England out for 192 in their second innings.
Sundar’s bowling proved crucial in stemming the England batting line-up, especially when Jasprit Bumrah had to wait 55 overs to claim his first wicket of the innings. Sundar’s ability to use drift and target the stumps consistently left England’s batsmen struggling for answers. His key victims included England captain Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and young talent Shoaib Bashir.
However, India’s batting on the penultimate day was far from convincing. Chasing a target of 193 runs to win the Test and take a 2-1 lead in the series, India faltered early and ended the day at 58 for 4 wickets. While KL Rahul stood firm with a steady 33 runs, the rest of the batting lineup struggled to build momentum.
Opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal survived a tough first over from Chris Woakes but was soon dismissed for a duck by Jofra Archer. Karun Nair showed some promise but was trapped LBW by Brydon Carse. Carse then continued his impactful spell by dismissing India captain Shubman Gill, who fell lbw to another in-swinging delivery, compounding India’s woes.
The day ended with India under pressure as night-watchman Akash Deep was bowled by England skipper Ben Stokes on the final ball of the day. For India to clinch victory, Rahul will have to continue anchoring the innings, supported by the remaining batsmen.
England, meanwhile, will look to capitalize on their bowling success and defend their modest target. A missed catch off Woakes early on gave Rahul a lifeline, and India will be hoping that he can build on that opportunity.
Earlier in the day, Mohammed Siraj made significant breakthroughs by removing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, helping India gain an early upper hand. With the match finely poised, the final day promises thrilling cricket action at the iconic Lord’s ground.
