The third day of the crucial Test match at Lord`s saw India navigate a tense middle session, reaching 316 for 5 by Tea. The period was marked by the swift departure of centurion KL Rahul, followed by a vital, albeit dramatic, partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Reddy that kept England`s first-innings lead in check.
Resuming his innings at an overnight 98, KL Rahul wasted no time in bringing up his second century at the historic venue, a milestone that underscored his impressive form in the series. However, the joy was painfully short-lived. In a classic cricketing twist, Rahul was dismissed on the very next delivery he faced after reaching triple figures. A flighted ball from Shoaib Bashir found the edge, and Harry Brook completed the catch at first slip, ending a period of commendable discipline with a single, costly lapse in concentration.
This brought Ravindra Jadeja and the relatively new batter, Nitish Reddy, to the crease with the task of consolidating the innings. What followed was a passage of play filled with considerable tension and, for young Reddy, an extraordinary sequence of near-disasters. Trying to get settled, Reddy found himself involved in multiple run-out opportunities initiated during various phases of play.
The first scare arrived during an LBW appeal against Reddy. As the bowler and fielders were momentarily distracted, Jadeja called for a quick single. Reddy, running towards the danger end, was well short of his ground when a throw came in. Fortuitously for India, the throw was off-target and lacked backup, granting Reddy an immediate reprieve. Just moments later, another mix-up saw Reddy halfway down the pitch before being sent back by Jadeja, narrowly avoiding being run out again thanks to a less-than-perfect return by the fielder. One might begin to wonder if Reddy possesses a horseshoe in his pocket, or perhaps a guardian angel specializing in boundary-line interventions.
Despite these heart-stopping moments and the persistent efforts of the English bowlers – including Jofra Archer hitting high speeds, Brydon Carse challenging both edges, and Bashir even injuring his hand attempting a catch – the sixth-wicket partnership endured. Reddy survived a third close call in another mid-pitch misunderstanding; both batters were out of their creases, but Ben Duckett fumbled the collection at the non-striker`s end, allowing Reddy to scramble back just in time. Through sheer grit, and undeniably, a significant amount of luck, the pair added a crucial 62 runs before the Tea interval, guiding India past the 300 mark.
At Tea, India stood at 316 for 5, trailing England`s first-innings total of 387 by 71 runs. While the session saw just one wicket fall for 68 runs, the narrative was dominated by the dramatic survival of Nitish Reddy, whose partnership with Ravindra Jadeja proved vital in keeping India`s hopes of a significant first-innings total alive after the abrupt end to KL Rahul`s fine innings.
Brief Scores: India 316/5 (KL Rahul 100, Ravindra Jadeja 40*, Nitish Reddy 25*) trail England 387 by 71 runs.
