Lords Test Turns Dramatic as 14 Wickets Fall in a Day — Final Day to Decide the Winner

 

The complexion of the Lord’s Test changed dramatically in a single day as 14 wickets fell on Sunday, setting up a thrilling finale on Monday. With the match finely poised, either team could clinch victory on the fifth and final day.

Before play began on Day 4, the probability of a draw stood at 43%. However, over the course of the next 61.1 overs, that scenario was turned on its head. Once England’s second innings ended, India’s chances of winning surged to 77%, while England’s stood at 23%. But by stumps, the pendulum had swung once again. Chasing a target of 193, India had lost three of their top-order batters early. Shubman Gill failed in both innings, while Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karun Nair also departed cheaply. KL Rahul survived a close call thanks to some luck, but India were under pressure. They now require 135 more runs with six wickets in hand. England, on the other hand, need just six wickets.

Tensions had flared late on Day 3 when Indian players took exception to Zak Crawley allegedly wasting time. Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj were visibly agitated. That aggression seemed to fuel India on Day 4. Right from the start, there was a noticeable intensity in the Indians’ body language.

Zak Crawley struggled early, while Ben Duckett tried to counter-attack. But the Lord’s pitch looked vastly different from previous days—there was swing off the surface and variable bounce, making life difficult for the batters. Siraj struck first, removing Duckett. Ollie Pope and Crawley couldn’t last long either. Pope fell to Siraj, while Nitish Reddy dismissed Crawley. England were reeling at 50/3.

Once again, Joe Root stood as a wall between India and a quick finish. Having scored centuries in each of his last three innings at this venue, Root was England’s mainstay. He adopted a cautious approach, while Harry Brook attacked at the other end. The duo attempted to build a partnership, but India’s bowlers maintained disciplined lines and lengths.

Interestingly, India used England’s own strategy against them. Just as England had brought the keeper up to the stumps against Shubman, India did the same against Root and Brook. Dhruv Jurel stood up to the stumps as Akash Deep and Nitish Reddy bowled tight lines. Brook, unable to step out, mistimed a sweep and was caught for 23.

As the ball aged and swing reduced, batting became slightly easier for Root and Ben Stokes. At this point, Shubman Gill introduced spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. While Washington had not made a major impact earlier in the series, he turned things around in this innings. Just before tea, he bowled Root for 40, then dismissed Jamie Smith—England’s lower-order nemesis in this series—for 8. That wicket piled pressure on England.

The onus was then on Stokes to hold the innings together, but he too fell while attempting a sweep, bowled by Washington for 33. England’s tail didn’t last long after that. Jasprit Bumrah claimed two of the remaining three wickets, and Washington finished off the innings. England were bowled out for 192. Washington returned with figures of 4/22, Bumrah and Siraj took two wickets each, while Nitish and Akash Deep claimed one apiece.

Though 193 was not an enormous target, it was always going to be a tricky chase in the fourth innings—especially on a pitch that had clearly helped India’s bowlers. And the early signs were ominous. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a duck to Jofra Archer, attempting a pull shot to a short ball outside off. Given the match situation, the shot was reckless. Jaiswal may have had a strong start to his Test career, but he still needs to learn how to temper his game during tense situations.

KL Rahul, India’s most experienced batter in the post-Kohli-Rohit era, held firm. He was fortunate early on, though—Chris Woakes dropped a sitter off his own bowling when Rahul was on 5. Karun Nair, who looked promising, fell for 14 while shouldering arms to Brydon Carse and being struck on the pad. The same bowler then dealt India a major blow by dismissing Shubman Gill for 6. The Indian skipper has now failed in both Tests at Lord’s. To shield the middle-order, India sent in nightwatchman Akash Deep, who too was dismissed quickly.

At stumps on Day 4, India were 58/4, still 135 runs away from the target. KL Rahul remains unbeaten on 33, holding India’s hopes for a dramatic fifth-day finish at Lord’s.