Can KL Rahul Lead India to Victory After Scoring Unbeaten 53?

London, July 11 (NationPress) KL Rahul played a remarkable innings, finishing Day Two of the third Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series with an impressive 53 not out. As the visitors, India, reached 145/3 in 43 overs, they find themselves trailing England by 242 runs at stumps here at Lord's on Friday.

The English bowlers posed various challenges to the Indian batsmen on a pitch that was becoming increasingly favorable for batting. Rahul showcased his patience and determination, striking five boundaries in his innings off 113 deliveries.

With Rishabh Pant alongside him on 19 not out, Rahul is pivotal for India as they aim to close the gap on England's first innings score of 387, with Jasprit Bumrah claiming 5-74 in his 27 overs.

Bumrah, in only his second Test at Lord's, achieved his 13th five-wicket haul at this iconic venue, surpassing Kapil Dev to become the Indian bowler with the most five-for hauls in overseas conditions.

Despite Joe Root's solid performance with a score of 104—marking his 37th Test century, 11th against India, and eighth at Lord's—England found themselves in a precarious position at 271/7. However, Smith and Brydon Carse added 84 runs for the eighth wicket, lifting the spirits of the home side on a slow pitch during a hot day.

While Smith scored 51 after being dropped by Rahul early on, Carse achieved his maiden Test fifty with a score of 56, benefiting from India conceding 31 extras.

The last session commenced with Karun Nair elegantly driving Carse for four runs, followed by another boundary. Rahul also showcased his skills, playing a beautiful drive off Ben Stokes to split mid-off and cover, while narrowly escaping an lbw appeal that saw England unsuccessfully utilize a review.

Root played a crucial role in securing England's second wicket; he executed a stunning one-handed catch at slip to dismiss Nair off Stokes’ bowling for 40. This catch allowed Root (211) to surpass Rahul Dravid (210) for the record of most catches in Test matches.

As Rahul maintained his composure, scoring boundaries, Shubman Gill struggled to find his rhythm, merely defending against the English bowlers. England's strategy of having the wicketkeeper stand up to the stumps paid off when Woakes’ delivery caught Gill’s edge, leading to a catch by Smith.

After recovering from a left index finger injury, Pant made a quick impact, hitting three boundaries off Shoaib Bashir, including a perfectly executed shot over mid-wicket. Rahul brought up his fifty off 97 balls and maintained his calm until stumps, marking an enthralling day of Test cricket.

Brief scores:

England 387 in 112.3 overs (Joe Root 104, Brydon Carse 56; Jasprit Bumrah 5-74, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2-62) lead India 145/3 in 43 overs (KL Rahul 53 not out, Karun Nair 40; Ben Stokes 1-16, Jofra Archer 1-22) by 242 runs