ENG vs IND: Jasprit Bumrah was clearly unlucky during the first session of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s. Right from the start, he had England opener Ben Duckett in trouble, even getting him to edge one behind to Rishabh Pant, but it didn’t stick.
As the ball continued to behave softly and stay low, Bumrah had a quick word with Pant and the slip cordon, asking them to step forward. “Aage aa ja, ball carry nahi kar raha hai, soft hai,” he was heard saying after the fourth ball of the innings, pointing out that the ball wasn’t carrying to the keeper or slips because of its softness.
Despite the early frustration, Bumrah kept things tight and continued to create pressure with his probing line and length.
After that, there were several moments when the ball fell just short of the fielders. There was even a dropped catch. Ollie Pope had a couple of close escapes – first, Shubman Gill put down a tough chance at gully, and then later, Pope edged one that nearly carried to KL Rahul at slip. The ball fell just short, and Rahul looked visibly frustrated as another opportunity slipped away.
Anil Kumble: “Jasprit Bumrah Was Trying Too Hard to Work the Slope”
Former India head coach Anil Kumble shared his thoughts on Jasprit Bumrah’s performance in the opening session of the third Test at Lord’s. While Bumrah created plenty of pressure early on, Kumble felt the star pacer was a bit off with his line.
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“He was trying to counter the slope and perhaps trying a bit too hard to get that away movement going. He was getting the shape, especially against the left-handers, but the line wasn’t quite there – it was too wide, giving the batters enough time to leave or adjust,” Kumble said.
Kumble added that with the expectations on Bumrah as India’s lead pacer, it’s natural for him to feel some pressure. But he backed the bowler to come back strong later in the day.
“With Bumrah, there’s always pressure because he’s the spearhead. I’m confident that when he returns post-lunch, he’ll be more relaxed, bowl a bit fuller, and target the stumps more. He was unlucky this morning – England could easily have lost a couple of early wickets to both him and Akash Deep,” he said.
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Broad: “Not Too Much Damage Done Despite the Two Quick Blows”
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad weighed in on England’s start to the match. He acknowledged the impact of Nitish Kumar Reddy, who struck twice right after the drinks break, but said England had handled the first session fairly well.
“I think pretty positively. Surviving that first hour was important. But then they were blown away after drinks,” Broad said while speaking on Sky Sports.
He also reflected on the bigger picture, considering England’s decision to bat first after winning the toss.
“I think England will be pretty happy, the newer ball will be getting softer. Not too much damage is done and Joe Root is still at the crease,” he said.
While two early wickets might be manageable, Broad noted that three would have been more of a setback.
“After winning the toss and opting to bat first, one would be okay with losing a wicket or two, but three wickets lost is damaging,” he added.
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England Steady at Lunch Thanks to Root and Pope
At lunch on Day 1, England were 83 for 2. After losing both openers in one over, Joe Root (24*) and Ollie Pope (12*) managed to steady the innings with an unbeaten 39-run partnership, setting things up for a crucial middle session.
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