Sun Jul 13 17:30:00 UTC 2025: **Root Century and Archer’s Return Highlight England-India Test at Lord’s**

**Lord’s, England -** England and India remain locked in a tight contest after Day 2 of the Third Test at Lord’s, with India closing on 145-3, trailing by 242 runs. England were earlier bowled out for 387, with Joe Root anchoring the innings with a masterful 104. He acknowledged waking at half past one and going through every possible dismissal, realising that, it’s not about me, it’s about us getting a decent score, stop being so selfish and get over yourself

Root’s century, his 37th in Test cricket, was complemented by valuable half-centuries from Brydon Carse (56) and Jamie Smith (51). However, Jasprit Bumrah led the Indian fightback, claiming a superb 5-74 to restrict England’s total. “It’s quite evenly balanced but slightly ahead in our favour,” said Bumrah. “If we have a good partnership and put runs on the board, that will help us to go a long way in the game.”

The day was also marked by the return of Jofra Archer to Test cricket. The fast bowler made an immediate impact, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal with just his third delivery. Former England captain Michael Vaughan praised Archer’s opening spell as “exceptional.” Root was excited to see Archer back playing Test cricket, back in whites, affecting games for England.

Root continued his impressive day by taking a stunning catch at first slip to dismiss an Indian batsman, setting a new record for the most catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test history. He noted that he had been dropping catches in recent times, and was very pleased to have affected the game today.

India face a challenging task on Day 3, needing to build a substantial partnership to reduce the deficit. KL Rahul remains unbeaten on 53, holding the key to India’s hopes. England will aim to strike early and capitalize on the uneven surface, with Root indicating the importance of taking quick wickets. He noted that the ball is soft, and it would be nice to see if it doesn’t go through the ring and we get something hard enough to do something off the surface. It could happen quite quickly. It’s going to be difficult for them to score unless they take risks. You can build pressure and squeeze game that way. With the slope, there’s always something to work with.

Read More