On a see-sawing third day at Headingley, India eked out a slender 6-run first innings lead after bowling England out for 465 in response to their own 471.
Spearhead Jasprit Bumrah delivered yet another standout performance, bagging a fifer and dismantling the tail to tilt the balance slightly in India’s favour as Tea was called.
England’s start to the day was steady with 209/3 on the board, but India’s bowling depth triggered a collapse. Despite gritty knocks from Harry Brook and Chris Woakes, the English lower order couldn’t withstand the fiery spells from Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. Bumrah’s final wicket of Josh Tongue was a peach—seaming in sharply to castle the stumps, sealing his 5-wicket haul.
Woakes tried to accelerate the scoring with innovative strokeplay, even launching back-to-back sixes off Prasidh Krishna. However, the momentum was short-lived as Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja hunted in tandem to wrap up the innings.
India’s bowlers showcased discipline and variation. Jadeja contained with flight and guile, while Siraj’s change-ups yielded results at key moments. The stand-out moment was Prasidh Krishna’s dismissal of Harry Brook, who fell agonizingly short of a century trying to hook one out of trouble only to be caught brilliantly by Thakur near the boundary.
With a thin lead of 6 runs, the Test is finely poised. India’s approach in their second innings will be crucial in defining the direction of this gripping encounter.
