How did Rahul expand India’s lead to 96 runs after Bumrah’s fifer kept England to 465?

Leeds, June 22 (NationPress) Harry Brook narrowly missed out on a century at his home ground, falling short by just one run, while Jasprit Bumrah delivered an outstanding five-wicket haul, and KL Rahul's stylish cover drives kept the first Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test finely balanced at Headingley on Sunday.

England concluded their innings at 465 runs on day three, granting India a slim six-run advantage. The fast-bowling ace Bumrah spearheaded the attack with a remarkable 5-83 in 24.4 overs, marking his 14th five-wicket haul in Test matches. This achievement ties him with the legendary Kapil Dev for the most five-wicket hauls by an Indian bowler in overseas Tests (12), setting the stage for an exhilarating second innings showdown.

One might ponder how many additional wickets Bumrah could have taken, as four catches were missed off his bowling during a lackluster fielding display from India. Although Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj contributed to the wicket tally, they struggled to rein in the scoring rate.

Rahul commenced India's second innings with cautious determination before showcasing his effortless elegance with seven boundaries—four of which were stunning cover drives—as he remained unbeaten on 47, helping India to a lead of 96 runs at 90/2 in 23.5 overs at day's end.

With captain Shubman Gill not out on six, India aims to accumulate more runs on day four after rain curtailed the third day's play. Brydon Carse provided England with an early breakthrough, enticing Yashasvi Jaiswal into an edge that was caught by Jamie Smith.

While B Sai Sudharsan displayed soft hands and secured two early boundaries, Rahul exhibited class with his on-drive and cover-drive off Carse, complemented by square drives against Josh Tongue and pulls off Shoaib Bashir. Sudharsan's strategy of playing late and gently earned him more boundaries, although he was dropped by Ben Duckett at gully.

However, three overs before stumps, Sudharsan was dismissed by Ben Stokes, caught at midwicket, marking the England skipper's second dismissal of him in the match. Rahul and Gill ensured no further wickets fell before the players left the field, with the match poised on a knife's edge heading into the final two days.

Earlier, resuming from 209/3 with a 262-run deficit, Brook was in fine form from the outset, cutting Prasidh Krishna for four before sending a pull shot over midwicket for six. Overnight centurion Ollie Pope added just six runs before edging a delivery from Prasidh to give Rishabh Pant his 150th Test catch. Meanwhile, Brook continued to assert his dominance with an array of shots including lofts, steers, drives, and ramps.

Stokes struggled with his 20 runs off 52 balls before being caught behind off Mohammed Siraj, prompting a frustrated reaction from England's captain. Smith played solidly, finding boundaries off both Siraj and Shardul Thakur, while narrowly evading a catch off Jadeja.

Brook's moment of fortune came when he was on 46; Pant mishandled a catch off Jadeja's bowling, which had found assistance from the pitch just before the lunch break. After lunch, Smith struck four and six off Prasidh's shorter deliveries, but misconnected on a subsequent pull, allowing Sudharsan and Jadeja to execute a brilliant relay for a crucial wicket.

With Siraj off target, Brook thrashed him for consecutive boundaries before getting a reprieve on 83 when Jaiswal dropped a catch in the gully. Brook continued to pile on the runs until he fell one run shy of a century; a misjudged pull on a bouncer from Prasidh saw him caught at long leg, leading to a long walk back to the dressing room.

As India conceded too many boundaries, Woakes and Carse capitalized easily, with Woakes stylishly achieving his 2,000 Test runs, hitting consecutive sixes off Prasidh. Carse then struck Siraj for two more fours before being bowled by a yorker, concluding a rapid 55-run partnership with Woakes.

Woakes' fine innings ended at the hands of Bumrah, who delivered a perfectly pitched ball that breached his defenses. Bumrah completed his five-wicket haul with another exceptional delivery that bowled Josh Tongue, ensuring India took a first-innings lead and heightened the excitement as the match remained finely balanced.

Brief Scores: India 471 and 90/2 in 23.5 overs (KL Rahul 47 not out, B Sai Sudharsan 30; Ben Stokes 1-18, Brydon Carse 1-27) lead England 465 in 100.4 overs (Ollie Pope 106, Harry Brook 99; Jasprit Bumrah 5-83, Prasidh Krishna 3-128) by 96 runs