England walked into Lord’s on Monday needing six Indian wickets; by the break they had already pocketed four. Ben Stokes, sleeves rolled up, sent down a nine-over burst that set the tone, and Jofra Archer, back in Test whites after a long wait, added his own brand of break-neck menace. Between them the pair dragged the match England’s way, even if the scorecard shows hard graft rather than a knockout blow.
India’s troubles began almost immediately. Rishabh Pant, his left hand still strapped, nicked off in the third over of the morning. Three overs later Stokes, from the Nursery End and using the gentle slope, nipped one back into KL Rahul’s pads. The captain let out a quiet roar, the sort that says, “Right, we’re on now,” but doesn’t quite rattle the windows.
“The ball’s doing plenty, mate, stay switched on,” Stokes told slip fielder Ollie Pope as the pair crossed paths – a reminder that the famous intensity was very much in business.
At 82 for 7, Indian hopes hung by a thread. Ravindra Jadeja dug in, Nitish Kumar Reddy joined him, and for a while Lord’s hummed rather than crackled. The ball softened, the seam lost its bite, and England suddenly had to work for chances. In the first hour there had been 12 false strokes; by the second that figure had slipped to eight.
Archer kept banging away and, just for good measure, produced a leaping one-handed grab at mid-off to remove Washington Sundar. It was one of those catches you watch twice to make sure the replay really happened. “That lad’s different gravy,” Kevin Pietersen muttered on television commentary, the former England batter unable to hide a grin.
Needle? Yes, a touch. Archer offered Pant a polite send-off, nothing too colourful but noticeable all the same. Stokes and Reddy chatted between overs – friendly enough, though nobody was cracking jokes. Brydon Carse, steaming in from the Pavilion End, even bumped into Jadeja after delivering one that whistled past off stump. No hard feelings, but plenty of edge.
Just when it seemed India might limp to lunch with both recognised batters intact, Chris Woakes traded seam for swing. He drew Reddy forward, found the edge, and had England roaring once more. Reddy, out for 13 off 53 balls, dragged himself off with a rueful shake of the head.
England now stand two wickets shy of the win, India on the brink at 104 for 8. A lop-sided scoreline, perhaps, yet the final act still needs staging. As Stokes reminded team-mates while they trotted in: “Job’s not done.”
