Can Washington Sundar Dismiss Root and Smith as England Stands at 175/6 Against India?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Washington Sundar's impressive bowling helped India control the game.
- Ben Stokes remains crucial for England's innings.
- The match is finely balanced, with both teams having opportunities.
- England’s aim is to set a challenging target for India.
- The session highlighted the importance of partnerships in Test cricket.
London, July 13 (NationPress) Washington Sundar dismissed in-form batsmen Joe Root and Jamie Smith, while captain Ben Stokes remained steadfast to guide England to 175/6 in 52 overs at tea on the fourth day of the third Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test against India at Lord's on Sunday.
The session tilted in favor of India, who posed challenging questions through both their pacers and spinners, keeping the game finely balanced. Sundar's two wickets were pivotal in restraining the hosts. With Stokes not out on 27 and Chris Woakes at two not out, England aims to surpass the 200 mark.
The session commenced with Stokes and Root pushing past the 100-run threshold. Stokes struck boundaries off Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah, who struggled with inconsistent bounce. England benefitted from several byes, and Root narrowly escaped an lbw call against Siraj, which proved to be a close umpire's call.
However, Sundar secured a crucial breakthrough in the 43rd over. Root, attempting a sweep shot, misjudged the delivery that clattered into the leg stump, ending their fifth-wicket partnership of 67 runs at 40.
Sundar returned four overs later to outsmart Smith with an away drift, hitting the off-stump and sending him back for just eight. With Stokes and Woakes still at the crease, England is eager to keep the scoreboard ticking and set a challenging target for India, who had claimed four wickets in the first session.
Brief Scores: England 387 and 175/6 in 52 overs (Joe Root 40, Ben Stokes 27 not out; Washington Sundar 2-13, Mohammed Siraj 2-31) lead India 387 in 119.2 overs (KL Rahul 100; Chris Woakes 3-84) by 175 runs.