Fired-up England carry momentum into ‘People’s Monday’ after another Ben Stokes beauty

Ben Stokes splattered the stumps with the last ball of a fantastic day of Test cricket to give England belief they can snatch victory on what promises to be a pulsating People’s Monday at Lord’s.

The atmosphere crackled in a spine-tingling last hour with the ground bathed in evening sunshine and the temperature between the two teams red-hot.

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England snatched four wickets, landing the big one of Shubman Gill, as India wobbled and indulged in their own time-wasting tactics as they limped to the close 58 for four, needing another 135 to win on a final day when ticket prices have been slashed to £25 and are sold out.

Gill had goaded England on Saturday night to “show some f—— balls” but the one thing you can never doubt about a Stokes-led team is their spirit.

They make life hard themselves sometimes, but rarely surrender easily and from coasting at 42 for one, India were rattled by Brydon Carse from the Pavilion End and Stokes from the Nursery End.

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Set 193 to win, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early to a poor shot off Jofra Archer, but England again aimed the gun at their feet. Chris Woakes dropped a return catch in his follow through off KL Rahul that would have left India nine for two. The India opener rebuilt with Karun Nair and it seemed as though the Test was slipping away for the hosts. Archer looked leggy in a poor opening spell and was testy with Stokes.

Carse was finally rewarded with the wickets he has deserved all series, finding great rhythm and the right length as he pinned Nair lbw not playing a shot before nipping one down the slope to have Gill leg before crashing into middle stump.

Nightwatchman Akash Deep was sent into the bear pit still dressing himself as India looked panicked. Deep was nervous, full of beans and as the fans tried to lift their team chanting “India, India, India” the unpleasantness out in the middle continued. Harry Brook told Deep “to do his f—— job” as he tried to get down the other end and put Rahul, the man he was supposed to be protecting, on strike.

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Stokes had five balls of the final over at Deep and shot him out at the third attempt, a straight ball clattering into off stump. The England captain raised his finger, the crowd lifted the roof and England walked off with a spring in their step.

India are still the favourites. Rahul is the anchor that will not budge and Rishabh Pant can make short work of a small total. Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are stubborn but also capable stroke-makers. Can Archer respond after a night’s sleep? Do the bowlers have enough left in the tank? England face a ton of work to go 2-1 up.

The hosts had to scramble to stitch a total together. Two collapses, one to seam, the other to spin, kept the target in reach for India, who targeted the stumps and always pegged back England. Sundar bowled with lovely drift away from the right handers to grab four for 22, backing up Jasprit Bumrah who made the ball spit, and Mohammad Siraj, who fizzed with energy.

Batting was risky business on a pitch that turned treacherous, and in the first hour it took courage and luck to survive as balls reared nastily off a length from Bumrah. In the afternoon, India’s spinners seized their first opportunity of the series to smother England.

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From 22 for no wicket, England lost four for 65 to revved up quicks and after Joe Root and Stokes rebuilt with a 67-run stand, they subsided losing six for 38 as Sundar and Jadeja squeezed at two an over in a 20-over chokehold. Even the most fluent England player of his generation toiled: Root hit one four in a 96-ball 40.

England are a chasing team and it showed. They did not know how to play the third innings, a test of whether they had learned to judge when to stick or twist. There were poor shots from five of the top seven, and frazzled decision-making after 120 overs in the field.

Crawley did well to see off Bumrah’s opening five-over spell when the ball spat up and hit him twice on the gloves. But as soon as Nitish Kumar Reddy came on the inevitable happened. Crawley tried to hit a four every ball and thick edged an outswinger to gully.

Ben Duckett had already mistimed a pull to mid-on, Siraj screamed in his face and the two made body contact as the match boiled over. Ollie Pope received a decent ball, cutting back down the slope to hit him in front but we are back on familiar ground after his Headingley hundred.

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Pope is averaging 31 in the series, and is 86 for six since he ended the first night of the series 100 not out. The thing is, nobody is surprised. Crawley averages 19 in the second innings, 30 overall, and in this series Carse has a higher batting average.

Brook followed the Bazball credo of putting pressure back on opponents with some outrageous stroke-play, twice ramping Deep for four before slapping him straight down the ground for a six into the pavilion. After 18 off four balls he could have taken it down a gear, but Brook continued the attack and was bowled playing a horrible sweep.

Stokes and Root battled hard. They put on 42 in the first hour after lunch but the spinners were unerringly accurate. England managed just one boundary off them before tea. Root missed a sweep and was bowled round his legs, and Jamie Smith misread the length to be bowled on the backfoot. Stokes averages 19 against spin, 45 against seam since the last Ashes and it showed. He was always searching for a way out against Sundar. He chose the wrong route, losing his balance and shape as he tried to sweep the spinner into the stands, but was bowled.

After three days that were tough at times to watch, the match blew up into a classic. Test cricket can do this like no other sport. Regardless of who wins, the toing-and-froing will doubtless continue to the end of the series.

07:04 PM BST

Boycott’s briefing

06:54 PM BST

Washington Sunder speaks to Sky Sports – ‘India will win’

On the mood in the dressing room…

“India will win, probably just after lunch.”

On how they played during the day…

“The fast bowlers kept the pressure on throughout the day, it was amazing. We expected a little bit of seam movement, a little bit of up and down. The plan was to not give out many runs as the fast bowlers were always going to be in play.”

On his four for 22…

“All of my wickets were big wickets, which pleased me. Coming at that stage of play was heartening. The UK has been very heartening [with drift], I don’t normally get that much in the sub-continent. With this Lord’s wicket there wasn’t too much bounce, so if I pitched the ball around the four to five metre mark there was a chance. My mind, especially on this wicket, if they’re trying to sweep or slog sweep it’s always going to be difficult for the batsmen. I’m always trying to hit the stumps. The fact Bumrah was bowling from the other end definitely helped, the fact we have him in our team is amazing.”

06:48 PM BST

Who do you have as favourites?

On Sky Sports Kumar Sangakkara says England have every reason to be more confident than India heading into the last day. Nasser Hussain says it’s a 52-48 type of game in favour of the tourists. WinViz has it as 55 per cent to India and 45 to England.

06:35 PM BST

STUMPS: India 58/4 chasing 193.

What a last half hour for the hosts, they got three wickets and now you have to say this match is (the dictionary definition) in the balance.

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India need 135 runs and England need six wickets.

06:33 PM BST

WICKET!

Deep b Stokes 1

Can Stokes deliver something special in this, the final over of the day? Rahul gets off strike first up with a single and I reckon that’s where he’ll stay for the remaining five deliveries, he is so crucial to this run chase.

Stokes to Deep: dot, dot, WICKET!!! The England captain puts in extra effort, getting the ball to hold its line a bit, beating Deep all ends up and sending the off-stump cartwheeling. What a day’s play!

FOW: 58/4

06:28 PM BST

OVER 17: IND 57/3 (Rahul 32 Deep 1)

Carse traps Deep on his pads, he appeals (of course he does…) but there’s no finger up from Reiffel and no review from England, Smith behind the stumps, correctly, saying it would have gone down leg. Two balls later Carse, who is bowling well and with some pace, again appeals for lbw and this time Stokes does review. And…it’s umpire’s call, close…

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There then follows a break, not sure what the Indian batsmen are doing, but Deep is getting treatment and I don’t think I am being too cynical when I suggest that the tourists are getting their own back on the hosts after last night’s tomfoolery/time-wasting shenanigans…once the over does resume there follows three dot balls and a bit of ‘banter’, the England players reminding the Indians of how they reacted 24 hours ago.

Twenty-four hours after Crawley and Duckett did the same, now it’s India trying to run down the clock to stop another over from being bowled.

06:21 PM BST

OVER 16: IND 57/3 (Rahul 32 Deep 1)

Stokes to Rahul, two off his pads first up. A dot ball follows then a single. Just what Stokes wants, a chance to bowl at Deep. Deep is deep in his crease and prods at his first delivery, the ball trundling to the feet of gully. He does well with the final ball, solid in defence and gets a single, protecting Rahul which is the night-watchman’s job, after all.

06:17 PM BST

OVER 15: IND 53/3 (Rahul 29 Gill 2)

Gill is caught behind off the bowling of Carse OR IS HE? Paul Reiffel gives it out but Gill reviews in a flash and the replay reveals why: there was clear daylight between bat and ball. After beating the bat with that delivery Carse then tries another full ball but only succeeds in dishing up a full toss and Gill doesn’t miss out on those. And then Carse has his man…BIG WICKET THAT (big enough to require caps lock…). The new man in is Akash Deep, a night-watchman so great chance for another one before stumps…

Curious to me that India have sent out a genuine nightwatchman like Deep, rather than one of their all-rounders like Washington or Reddy.

06:15 PM BST

WICKET!

Gill lbw b Carse 6

Carse has been bowling full this over and has his man, trapping the India captain and man of the series so far plumb in front. Gill reviews but Hawk Eye doesn’t save him. HUGE WICKET!

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FOW: 53/3

06:09 PM BST

OVER 14: IND 47/2 (Rahul 29 Gill 2)

Stokes with a loose delivery down legside allows Rahul to glance another four, the England skipper is annoyed with himself. Four balls later its Rahul who is loose, wafting outside off stump, missing the ball as if lifts more than he expected. After that poor first ball that was much better from Stokes who will be wanting at least one more wicket this evening.

06:04 PM BST

OVER 13: IND 43/2 (Rahul 25 Gill 2)

Misfield from Stokes when a cover drive hits a divot and jumps over his hands. It puts Nair on strike and he fishes at the outswinger then falls doing a Mike Gatting, padding up to a straight one, mystifyingly shouldering arms.

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Enter Gill to the raucous appreciation of India’s supporters. Duckett and Brook are in his ear straight away when the captain gropes at two full, swinging balls outside off at 89 mph but then nails the cover drive in typically elegant style for two.

Greg Wilcox will take you to the close.

06:00 PM BST

Wicket!

Nair lbw b Carse 14  Padded  up to a straight one. He must have thought it was the outswinger. Salmon and trout.  FOW 41/2

05:59 PM BST

OVER 12: IND 40/1 (Karun 14 Rahul 24)

Rahul skelps a single off his pads as Stokes tries to locate that sweet spot. Not so much a ridge as a small trampoline. But he can’t find it in this over which costs only one but does nothing to unsettle the two batsmen.

05:54 PM BST

OVER 11: IND 39/1 (Karun 14 Rahul 23)

Brydon Carse replaces Chris Woakes who had grassed a hard return chance off Rahul earlier.

The first three angle into the India batsmen and they pick them off for three singles through the legside until he fires in a pair of yorkers that Rahul chisels out. Carse strays too straight with the final ball and again it’s clipped smoothly through midwicket.

05:48 PM BST

OVER 10: IND 35/1 (Karun 12 Rahul 22)

Dinesh Karthik makes a fair point. England need not panic and have to be patient. The road to victory can more readily go 100 for three, 150 for five, 180 all out than 70 for five, 120 all out. At Headingley in 1981 Australia were 56 for one chasing 130.

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Here’s Ben Stokes and he starts with a no-ball that jagged away from Rahul. The opener’s soft-hands allow him to guide the ball past the slips for four even though it came off the edge. After four respectable deliveries, Stokes finds that sweet spot on a good length and the ball rears up and screeches past Rahul’s gloves at top rib height as he hastily swayed out of the way.

Drinks.

05:41 PM BST

OVER 9: IND 30/1 (Karun 12 Rahul 17)

Stokes is loosening up. Woakes is given a fifth over and begins with nipping one back into Nair’s thighpad. When Woakes strives for the inswinger, the bat handle revolves in Nair’s hands and he ends up squeezing it through midwicket off a thick inside edge for two runs when aiming for midwicket.

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The bounce is becoming just as unreliable from the Pavilion End as one shoots through on a fifth-stump line.

Ben Stokes is coming on to bowl next.

05:37 PM BST

OVER 8: IND 28/1 (Karun 10 Rahul 17)

He starts with another full delivery outside off and Nair drills it to point. No run but there is one when Archer goes full and straight, Nair working it to square leg’s left. Ben Stokes must be fancying a burst from Jofra’s end soon. Archer’s pace is up but his length is perplexing. Maybe it will swing when the lacquer comes off. Rahul defends, positively blocking with his bat sticking to the perpendicular, hoping to beat the field but primarily designed to keep it out.

05:34 PM BST

OVER 7: IND 27/1 (Karun 9 Rahul 17)

Woakes continues from the Pavilion End. He draws Nair on to the front foot and tests huis judgment of what to play and what to leave. So far it’s pretty, pretty good and he takes a single off the fifth delivery with a drive to cover that Pope fields, diving and on the bounce. Another over for Jofra Archer. He keeps looking for swing, bowling full, much to the consterantion of the commentators.

05:28 PM BST

OVER 6: IND 26/1 (Karun 8 Rahul 17)

Runs are coming now, Archer overpitches and Nair hits him through the covers. The same happens a few balls later, too full and this time it’s Rahul who feasts on the half-volley. Archer wants a sweeper but to be fair to Stokes, and any captain, he cannot set fields for poor bowling.

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Handing back to Roberto Bagchi…

05:28 PM BST

OVER 6: IND 26/1 (Karun 8 Rahul 17)

Runs are coming now, Archer overpitches and Nair hits him through the covers. The same happens a few balls later, too full and this time it’s Rahul who feasts on the half-volley. Archer wants a sweeper but to be fair to Stokes, and any captain, he cannot set fields for poor bowling.

Handing back to Roberto Bagchi…

05:25 PM BST

OVER 5: IND 17/1 (Karun 4 Rahul 13)

Woakes drops one off his own bowling, Rahul comes forward, the ball just sticking into the pitch and the England opener, usually so good, hands like buckets etc etc, drops one…they’re never easy but…

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To rub salt into the wound Rahul then hits back-to-back fours. The first a backfoot drive worthy of Damien Martyn, the second a drive through extra-cover worthy of Ian Bell. Lovely to watch unless you’re an England fan or Chris Woakes.

05:20 PM BST

OVER 4: IND 9/1 (Karun 4 Rahul 5)

Archer goes for the inswinger to Karun Nair and he plays a lovely on-drive for two. Always feel on-drives when played like that should be automatically a four, just me..? Archer then hits Karun Nair who drives to get under it but it doesn’t lift as much as he thinks it’s going to. Inevitably the full one follows and two runs are added to the score.

05:16 PM BST

OVER 3: IND 5/1 (Karun 0 Rahul 5)

Woakes has been on the money from ball one, he gets one to nip back sharply, it started to shape away before nipping back round a corner, a coat of varnish between that being a wicket and not. Two balls later Rahul is then hit on the front pad, looks as though it was outside the line and there is no referal…in fact there was a massive inside edge. Next up the opener plays and misses. Another eventful over and another maiden for Woakes.

05:12 PM BST

OVER 2: IND 5/1 (Karun 0 Rahul 5)

It’s Archer time from the Nursery End, what can he get the new ball to do? Huge uneven bounce this morning from this end…

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Archer is too straight the first two balls, the second of which KL Rahul glances with ease for four. Archer is then too short and the classy opener pulls for a single. For Jaiswal Archer goes round the wicket and he gets the vital wicket, England needed that. Karun is the new batsman and he is greeted with a yorker and then only down legside.

Stokes has started with a deep point and a deep backward square, with an eye on the runs. They can’t let India get off to a boundary-laden flyer.

05:10 PM BST

WICKET!

Jaiwsal c Smith b Archer 0

Bit of lift for Archer, who goes round the wicket to the left-hander. The opener tries to fetch from outside off and only succeeds in skying it high, high, high into the atmosphere, no snow on it when it lands in Smith’s gloves (it is hot outside remember…).

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FOW: 5/1

05:04 PM BST

OVER 1: IND 0/0 (Jaiswal 0 Rahul 0)

Woakes is on the money with the first two balls – the first one just past the off-peg and stays low, the second flies through to Smith behind the stumps above chest height. The third is taken ankle-high, interesting…

What have we with the fourth? Well, this once bounces twice before Smith gathers. The fifth sees the Indian opener present a straight bat, as he does with the sixth. A maiden to start with and this is tense stuff at the Home of Cricket.

05:01 PM BST

Woakes with the new ball from the Pavilion End

No shock there Archer has to take the new ball from the Nursery End with that variable bounce.

05:00 PM BST

Won’t surprise you to learn that the tourists are the favourites

WinViz has India on76 per cent to win, England are 24 and the draw a big, fat zilch…

04:59 PM BST

No Bashir out there

Doesn’t look like Bashir is going to take the field at the start of the innings. He looked in pain as he batted, but he should bowl really – has to leave everything out there.

04:58 PM BST

If England should learn anything from the Test so far…

…it’s that they need to target the stumps. This isn’t a flat track, but the hosts need to use the new ball well. The exaggerated up-and-down movement will only take place in the first 15 overs or so…

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Over to you Jofra…

BTW, thanks to Rob for another classy blogging stint.

04:52 PM BST

ENG 192 all out

So, an off-spinner takes four wickets, gulling Root, Smith, Stokes and Bashir. Both openers and Harry Brook were out to poor shots (Root and Stokes also fell after misjudging their options) while Pope, Woakes and Carse were undone by rippers.

Greg Wilcox will be your guide for India’s chase after 10 minutes of heavy rolling.

Super effort from Washington Sundar:  four for 22, with three of them right-handers clean bowled.

Lots of talk about him being a utility pick, but he has the potential to be a fine Test off spinner – to go with his very handy batting. Now averages 26 with the ball and 42 with the bat.

04:49 PM BST

Wicket!

Bashir b Sundar 2  That’s the 12th England wicket to fall bowled out in the match. He shuffled forward, groped at it and the ball skidded past the bat and thumped into off and middle. Washington Sundar finishes with 12.1-2-22-4.  FOW 192 all out

04:48 PM BST

OVER 62: ENG 192/9 (Archer 5 Bashir 2)

His team-mates are mustered on the balcony in their whites but Bashir not only survives, he bravely steers a single through point off the back foot, the thud of the ball making the broken finger ring. Where Bashir is backing away, Archer gets in line until given a fuller one that he fails to whip fine enough and knocks it midwicket.

04:44 PM BST

OVER 61: ENG 191/9 (Archer 5 Bashir 1)

Bashir stabs a single off Sundar’s first ball down through point. The off-spinner gives him no width and Archer defends the next three waiting for the field to come up. But they stay out apart from point and square leg. Archer slaps the fifth ball to mid-on and can’t get the dart away, leaving Bashir on strike for Bumrah.

04:41 PM BST

OVER 60: ENG 190/9 (Archer 5 Bashir 0)

Archer turns down a single off the second ball of Bumrah’s over and blocks the next two. In comes the field. Bumrah is squaring him up but he manages to get his bat down in time. He hasn’t used the bouncer on him at all, perhaps they have an old-fashioned pact. Indeed he goes for the yorker last up, doesn’t land it and Archer pings the full toss through mid-off for four.

04:36 PM BST

OVER 59: ENG 186/9 (Archer 1 Bashir 0)

Washington Sundar, who has removed England’s engine room of Root, Smith and Stokes, continues. Archer gets off the mark with a back-foot flick behind square for a single. Bashir defends via the inside edge and again takes his left hand off the bat as he also does next ball with a straighter block.

04:33 PM BST

OVER 58: ENG 185/9 (Archer 0 Bashir 0)

The yorker is now Bumrah’s prime weapon in this spell but he spears it too wide of Woakes leg stump. He landed awkwardly in his followthrough and seems to have hurt his right calf. On comes the physio who puts on a thick pink TubiGrip bandage and the very next ball he cleans up Bumrah with a beauty. Woakes’ mouth gapes open as if he can’t believe how far it moved.

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Enter Bashir with a broken little finger. Bumrah beats him with one that rears up outside off and forces Bashir to sway out of the way. Bashir defends the yorker but immediately wags his left hand in pain. One ball to come. It’s outside off, in the channel, but Bashir, backing away, can’t reach it.

After his second ball, Bashir grimaced and shook his left hand. Must be in a lot of pain.

04:29 PM BST

Wicket!

Woakes b Bumrah 10  Amazing. Nips it back down the slope and it kisses the inside edge and knocks back leg-stump. FOW 185/9

04:26 PM BST

OVER 57: ENG 185/8 (Woakes 10 Archer 0)

Woakes defends Sundar’s first three then works an on drive through for a single. Archer blocks the last two.

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Current WinViz is India 71 per cent, England 25 and the draw 4.

When Ben Stokes was a lad, that ball by Washington Sundar would have gone straight back over the bowler’s head for six. The older the captain gets, and the more trouble he has against spin, the more complicated his game becomes.

04:23 PM BST

OVER 56: ENG 184/8 (Woakes 9 Archer 0)

Bumrah delivers, cleaning up Carse with a sandshoe crusher. Archer gets down the other end with a leg-bye off the nip-backer and Woakes pulls a short one for a single down to square leg.

Bumrah goes for the yorker again and Archer is late on it as it whistles through. Jurel says he hit it but it didn’t look like it and so it proved.

04:21 PM BST

Not out

India burn another review. It was the yorker but Archer’s bat was nowhere near it when he jammed it into the blockhole late.

04:21 PM BST

India review

Archer c sub (Jurel) b Bumrah

04:16 PM BST

Wicket!

Carse b Bumrah 1 Castled leg stump by an inswinging yorker. Too good for thee. Too good for almost everyone. FOW 182/8

04:15 PM BST

OVER 55: ENG 182/7 (Woakes 8 Carse 1)

Stokes with brown stripes of dust on both thighs, his stomach and chest, sweeps Sundar low and hard, fetching it form outside off for four. But when he goes for the encore he is done by the tighter line. The off-spinner has three for 18.

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Carse defends on the back foot then comes down to drive a single to mid-on.

04:12 PM BST

Wicket!

Stokes b Sundar 33 Having fetched one from outside off two balls before and swept it for four, he goes for it again but the ball was straighter and skiddier, scuttling under his bat to knock back middle stump. England are in serious bother here. FOW 181/7

04:10 PM BST

OVER 54: ENG 177/6 (Stokes 29 Woakes 8)

Bumrah returns and Stokes takes his life in his hands by slapping a drive to mid-off that bounces perfectly into Gill’s hands but he misses with his throw with Stokes a metre short diving with his bat held out like a lance in his right hand. Gill’s hands fly on to his head when the ball passes the stump. He had all three to aim at.

04:06 PM BST

OVER 53: ENG 176/6 (Stokes 28 Woakes 8)

The consensus among the pundits is that Stokes will play as he has been doing while he still has Woakes but will go on the attack if he loses him. I think he might carry on in this vein if he stays in until he loses Carse who, as we know, is very competent. Stokes fails to cash in on a half volley at the start of the over and squirts a single behind point off the last. Stuart Broad says ig he was still playing he would feel a lead of 250 would make England feel favourites.

03:53 PM BST

Tea verdict

The pressure jacked up on England with the loss of two wickets in a tight session as India’s spinners, and not Jasprit Bumrah, had a stranglehold for the first time in series. Root and Smith were both bowled by Washington Sundar, who bowls a tight wicket-to-wicket line perfect for this pitch, while Jadeja at the other end threatened. England managed just one boundary off the spin pair in the session as they slowly creep to a defendable score with Stokes playing one of his gritty innings.

Siraj thought he had Root leg-before, and spun away in frustration when it was confirmed umpire’s call by Hawkeye but just as Root and Stokes were building a potentially match winning stand, Sundar struck. Root was bowled around his legs missing a sweep, a shot he nails better than any other England player.

03:44 PM BST

TEA – OVER 52: ENG 175/6 (Stokes 27 Woakes 8)

Woakes works a single to leg off the flat dart and Stokes does the same with a kind of flip that just evades the man at bat-pad. Huge groaning gasp from Jadeja and the crowd when Woakes is beaten by a ragging turner that pitches on middle, bites and nibbles past the edge. Woakes made his hands obey him and they stayed true and straight. The slightest of flinches towards the ball and he would have surely grazed it through to the keeper.

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It’s been absorbingly tense but Woakes and Stokes survive to tea with England 175 ahead and four wickets in hand.

03:38 PM BST

OVER 51: ENG 173/6 (Stokes 26 Woakes 7)

Significant turn from Sundar to Stokes, using the rough and drift to interrogate Stokes’ defensive technique on the back foot. He plays out a maiden and Sundar will take tea after Jadeja’s forthcoming over with figures of 7-2-13-2.

03:37 PM BST

OVER 50: ENG 173/6 (Stokes 26 Woakes 7)

Stokes sweeps for a single off the first ball. Woakes cannot use that shot to get Jadeja away as he slides it on to off-stump then rags it away past the edge. He’s walking a tightrope but is patient enough not to lunge at the turning ball and waits instead for an error in line and cashes in by tickling it round the corner for two.

03:32 PM BST

OVER 49: ENG 170/6 (Stokes 25 Woakes 5)

Woakes isn’t in good nick with the bat and has a slip, leg slip and short leg to contend with as Sundar continues to give it a rip. After Stokes whisks the first ball for a single through midwicket, Woakes blocks four and then when one drifts on to middle, walks down to spear a bottom-hand midwicket flick for four. Handsomke stroke.

03:29 PM BST

OVER 48: ENG 165/6 (Stokes 24 Woakes 1)

Woakes, batting on eggshells, turns Brigadier Block to hold Jadeja at bay. That’s his first maiden.

03:27 PM BST

OVER 47: ENG 165/6 (Stokes 24 Woakes 1)

We expected Sundar to be a threat to Stokes but he has picked up the wickets of England’s two most important right-handers. Woakes gets off a king pair by defending the off-break then off a pair with a flick through midwicket.

03:21 PM BST

Wicket!

Smith b Sundar 8 That was almost like a seamer. It was quick, hit the seam, went straight on as Smith played inside the lien expecting it to be an off-break and lost his off-stump. FOW 164/6

03:21 PM BST

OVER 46: ENG 162/5 (Stokes 24 Smith 6)

Jadeja rattles through an over for the cost of three singles. Kumar Sangakkara says India are unusually quiet and says he would prefer more noise to encourage the bowlers.

03:20 PM BST

OVER 45: ENG 159/5 (Stokes 24 Smith 6)

Just the single off Sundar’s fourth over when Smith steps into a clip to mid-on. Sundar has one for five from four overs of testing off-spin, using his height and drift to stop all thoughts of milking him heavily.

03:15 PM BST

OVER 44: ENG 158/5 (Stokes 24 Smith 5)

Smith nurdles Jadeja into the gap at midwicket for a single, Stokes nudges a single through mid-on and Smith cuts for another. Jadeja appeals at high volume when he turns one into Stokes’ pads but it seemed to come off the inside-edge.

03:12 PM BST

OVER 43: ENG 155/5 (Stokes 22 Smith 1)

Root had been fussing with his bat grip for much of the last couple of overs. Ian Ward wonders whether someone so meticulous about his kit was distracted. I’m not sure. But England are under the cosh now. Hope rests with these two.

03:08 PM BST

Wicket!

Root b Sundar 40 Crikey! A rare sight indeed, bowled behind his legs sweeping. By contrast with Brook this was from a spinner not an 85mph man, but he must have misread the line as he went too far over to the offside and the ball burrowed beneath his bat. FOW 154/5

03:07 PM BST

OVER 42: ENG 153/4 (Root 40 Stokes 21)

Root flicks a single to bring up the 150, and Stokes adds two with sweeps, the first a leg-bye, either side of Root gliding a single down to third man.

03:06 PM BST

OVER 41: ENG 149/4 (Root 38 Stokes 20)

Stokes watchfully plays out a Sundar maiden, pressing forward to smother the turn with an angled bat. The last ball is looser and Stokes tries to cut but can’t pierce the offside ring.

03:02 PM BST

OVER 40: ENG 149/4 (Root 38 Stokes 20)

Jadeja is quicker than ideal in this over. Root misses out on a sweep but connects with a flick through midwicket for a single. Stokes defends conscientiously then paddles a single to take the strike.

02:58 PM BST

OVER 39: ENG 147/4 (Root 37 Stokes 19)

Washington Sundar replaces Jadeja after only one over from the 300+ Test-wicket man. His height and ability to give it a rip makes the ball drift into the left-handed Stokes who works the first ball against the turn to midwicket for a single. Root taps the darted one to mid-on. Jadeja has switched ends and will bowl from the Nursery End to help him turn it down the slope.

02:55 PM BST

OVER 38: ENG 145/4 (Root 36 Stokes 18)

Siraj fields off his own bowling when his inswinger clips Stokes on the pad and they run a leg-bye. Siraj is bowling magnificently from the Pavilion End, swinging it round corners and an attitude that has him biting at the batsmen’s throats all the time. They run a leg-bye for that too and then Stokes whisks two off his pads and a single in similar style at the end of the over.

This is how close it was:

02:50 PM BST

NOT OUT

On umpire’s call. It was scratching leg. Blimey, that was close.

02:49 PM BST

India review

Root lbw b Siraj Hit him just below the knee. Very close.

02:42 PM BST

OVER 37: ENG 140/4 (Root 36 Stokes 15)

Gill gives Jadeja a short-leg and a slip for Stokes who chops a cut off the bottom edge for a single. Short leg stays where he is and becomes silly point for Root who reverse sweeps for two to bring up the fifth partnership of 50 or above between these two at Lord’s in nine stands together. Jadeja ran down appealing like a dervish but, as Rahul points out, he hit it on to his pad.

Time for drinks.

Dhruv Jurel is keeping in place of Rishabh Pant. He’s been absolutely magnificent up to the stumps but is really struggling with the vagaries of the slope when standing back. 25 byes is very handy for England in this circumstance.

02:39 PM BST

OVER 36: ENG 135/4 (Root 33 Stokes 14)

Another hooping inswinger beats Root and Jurel and goes away for four byes. The keeper had no chance but that’s 25 byes now which technically go against his name but he’s been at fault for maybe four at most. At other times he was either standing too close on his captain’s instructions or had no chance of reaching them even if he’d been 8ft tall.

Siraj nips one back through Root’s gate. There’s a noise and a big appeal but it was pad not bat and Rahul immediately dampens enthusiasm for a review.

Another nip-backer crashes into Root’s thigh pad but he finds the middle of the bat to work two through midwicket when Siraj pitches his inswinger up.

Spin at last. Gill calls up Jadeja to replace Bumrah.

The partnershipn is now 48.

02:32 PM BST

OVER 35: ENG 129/4 (Root 31 Stokes 14)

‘No Bazball, only dot balls,’ says Bumrah after Stokes defends two. Does that provoke Stokes into the next stroke, a slashing cut that flies over backward point for four, Washington Sundar, the fielder, is one of the tallest in the India side and he couldn’t reach it.

02:30 PM BST

OVER 34: ENG 125/4 (Root 31 Stokes 10)

After Root is beaten by a grubber from Siraj that pitched on a good length but dribbled past off-stump, he clips a single through midwicket. Stokes walks down to drive to mid-off and takes on the fielder for another. It was tight but he had a head start with his charge. Root is beaten walking down to drive to a huge inswinger which misses off-stump and bounces over Jurel’s glove for four byes. Siraj, as is his wont, appeals with great gusto after pinning Root above the knee roll. In come the cordon to discuss a review. ‘Impact? Impact?’ asks Gill. KL says outside the line, which it was.

WinViz currently

England 42 per cent
India 49
Draw 9.

02:24 PM BST

OVER 33: ENG 119/4 (Root 30 Stokes 9)

Bumrah crashes a heavy delivery into Stokes’ knee with one that slants in and keeps going from round the wicket. The ball loops up and floats to gully but he didn’t hit it and the trajectory was taking it past leg stump. The left-hander swivels to try to pull a shorter one and is struck again around the box area as it hurries on to him. Maiden.

02:19 PM BST

OVER 32: ENG 119/4 (Root 30 Stokes 9)

Siraj switches to come in from the Pavilion End which is where he took his two wickets from this morning. Stokes and Root have made 511 runs in nine partnerships at Lord’s at 64. They are certainly batting with more attacking intent since lunch. Stokes hunkers deep in his crease to stab Siraj for a single through cover point. Root drops to one knee to try to chop a wider one but is beaten on the bottom edge then ends the over almost dragging on, nicking it on to his front pad off the inside-edge as he played an expanisve drive.

Akash Deep limps up the stairs for treatment after seemingly hurting his hip.

02:14 PM BST

OVER 31: ENG 118/4 (Root 30 Stokes 8)

Bumrah replaces Siraj  and three balls into the over traps Root on the front pad with a nip-backer that pitched way outside off and didn’t come back enough. Two balls later he pins him on the shin with an extravagant inswinger that did way too much. He turns to appeal, raising one arm but not wholeheartedly.

02:10 PM BST

OVER 30: ENG 117/4 (Root 30 Stokes 7)

Root drives Deep through cover for two, doubling his return because of Sundar’s misfield. When will we see Sundar and/or Jadeja? The stumper is now standing back to Root, telegraphing the bouncer that jumps over Root’s head. He wants a wide for that but the umpire shakes his head.

I don’t have the stats to back this up, but I’m absolutely convinced Stokes gets hit in the knackers more than any other batsman in world cricket.

I would concur. One presumes it has made him the Buster Gonad of the greatest game.

02:04 PM BST

OVER 29: ENG 115/4 (Root 28 Stokes 7)

Root drills Siraj for a single through cover and Stokes uses his feet to skip down and square drive for a single. Root unfurls another cover drive, this one more tappy than meaty, and rotates the strike again. And at the end of a fairly innocuous over, Siraj’s nip-backer clonks Stokes flush in the goolies. Everyone is mightily amused apart from Ben Stokes who lies supine on the floor. ‘Don’t rub ’em, count ’em.’

02:01 PM BST

OVER 28: ENG 112/4 (Root 26 Stokes 6)

Root drives Deep for two through point and works a single off his toes through square leg for a single. The older the ball, the less the unpredictability of bounce so far this session.

01:55 PM BST

OVER 27: ENG 109/4 (Root 22 Stokes 6)

Now Siraj is given the Nursery End, whence the bounce has been most unreliable. When he overpitches Root drives through mid-on handsomely and would have got three but for slipping while turning after completing the second. The next ball is also full and Root whips it for two square, staying upright when he turns next time. Siraj pins Root on the pad with the batsman hiding the bat, pushing forward, and appeals vociferously. They ponder a review while England complete a leg-bye but even if he wa sdeemed not to be playing a stroke, it was missing off-stump.

Siraj ends the over with a pie and Stokes carves the short, wide one that sits up invitingly at 85mph for four.

01:48 PM BST

OVER 26: ENG 100/4 (Root 18 Stokes 2)

Deep starts by finding Root’s edge as he feathers it through to a keeper standing up who is too close to hang on. Never mind. It was a no-ball. Genuine movement from Deep off the seam, though, which is all England need. Root opens the face to smear a single down to third man which may have been two had it not been Jadeja doing the fielding.

Stokes leans back to try and cut Deep when he pushes it wide but plays and misses and is then beaten by one that rears up off a fuller length. The pitch is becoming a minefield.

01:44 PM BST

The players are out

And Akash Deep has the ball from the Pavilion End.

01:35 PM BST

The end?

01:17 PM BST

Lunch verdict

Send offs, some outrageous shots and batsmen rapped on the gloves made for a totally absorbing session of intense, hard Test cricket that picked up from the fireworks of the night before but ended with India on top, seizing control of the game.

Bumrah sparked a docile pitch into life with a five-over spell of hostile, nasty fast bowling that required courage and luck to survive. Somehow he went wicketless but his team-mates benefitted at the other end.

Duckett played a poor shot to Siraj and there was some argy bargy as the England opener walked off. Pope was leg-before to a snorter from Siraj that nipped down he slope while Crawley survived the Bumrah bombardment but, inevitably, played a poor drive to Reddy’s gentle outswinger to be caught at gully.

Brook briefly took the attack to India with 18 off four balls in a flurry of boundaries but his ego took over. When India moved fine leg, he decided to hit it squarer and was bowled round his legs trying to sweep Akash Deep.

England hopes rest on Root, Stokes and Smith.

01:13 PM BST

Stuart Broad on what England would be happy to defend

If I’m a bowler with an England badge on my shirt, I’m saying get me 220 with that bounce.

01:10 PM BST

Histort repeats the old conceits

There is precedent for teams to be bowled out for under 200 in the fourth innings of a Lord’s Test but the most recent is England’s skittling by India for 120 on their last visit here.

01:07 PM BST

India right on top

Incredible morning of cricket. India right on top after the wicket of Brook, which came in incredible circumstances, really. It felt absolutely vital that Root and Stokes made it through that final Bumrah, which they did.

01:06 PM BST

Lunch: ENG 98/4 (Root 17 Stokes 2)

Now Bumrah swings one late that keeps going down the legside to rattle away for four byes. Root pokes a single off an open face through point and then Stokes, squared up by one angling into middle and nipping away, takes a leading edge and squirts through point for two.Stokes plats out the last two and makes it to lunch which used to be two gaspers and a Red Bull for him. Off come the bails.

India have bowled very well and though the pitch has been very favourable, Duckett, Crawley and Brook each were complicit in their own dismissals.

Put it this way. It has been a very good morning for India… and Jacob Bethell.

01:01 PM BST

OVER 24 ENG 91/4 (Root 16 Stokes 0)

Deep finds Stokes’ edge from round the wicket but his soft hands guide it down well in front of second slip who takes it on the half-volley. The last ball of the over hoops wildly past Stokes inside edge as he tried to slap it off the back foot, beats Jurel diving to his right and goes down to fine leg for four byes.

Kumar Sangakkara thinks England need 280-300. Michael Atherton thinks they would be confident of defending 240 given this is a much dryer and unpredictable pitch than the one on which South Africa chased down 280 to become world champions.

12:57 PM BST

OVER 23: ENG 87/4 (Root 16 Stokes 0)

Jasprit Bumrah, who has taken Root’s wicket 11 times in 16 Tests, the same number of dismissals as Pat Cummins, comes back on for a pre-lunch burst. It’s a testing over but Root keeps it out for a maiden, grafting hard for his side.

12:52 PM BST

OVER 22: ENG 87/4 (Root 16 Stokes 0)

The placement of the deep fine leg to stop him ramping encourages Brook to try to sweep a fast bowler and he is beaten for pace, bowled middle stump 13 minutes from lunch. Deep also celebrates wildly, screaming out his joy and jabbing the air with uppercuts.

‘Not Bazball, just arrogance,’ says Kumar Sangakkara. ‘Just flick it.’

It was a middle-stump half-volley. A middle-stump half-volley. A middle-stump half-volley! Why did Harry Brook do that? In the previous over he had creamed a middle-stump half-volley for four. Why not do it again?

Stokes plays and misses outside off.

12:47 PM BST

Wicket!

Brook b Deep 23 Bowled behind his legs trying to sweep someone who bowls 85mph. Inexplicable. FOW 87/4

12:46 PM BST

OVER 21: ENG 84/3 (Root 13 Brook 23)

Root whips two through square leg when Reddy overpitches, shouting ‘Two!’ as soon as he hit it, then taps a single into the legside. Reddy again overpitches on middle and Brook whisks it for four through midwicket. I don’t think the keeper standing up is good for his consistency. He doesn’t want to be ramped and hence is bowling too straight and full.

12:41 PM BST

OVER 20: ENG 77/3 (Root 10 Brook 19)

Root drives off the edge, playing late, for a single through point and now Brook counter-attacks marvellously, twice in succession ramping Deep for a pair of fours over fine leg and so Deep has to go fuller to stop a hat-trick of ramps and Brook hammers him for six over mid-off, 15 rows back into the first tier of the pavilion.

What an over for Harry Brook. Even in these circumstances, he’s not the sort to die wondering, and Gill will be wondering if he can continue with that attacking field for Deep. Two ramps and a swat down the ground adds 14 to the score after an excellent period for India.

12:37 PM BST

OVER 19: ENG 62/3 (Root 9 Brook 5)

Caught behind is in the equation for Reddy at 77 mph. And he does play and miss at one that snaps into the keeper’s gloves. Excellent diving stop by Nair at slip saves four when Root chops a late cut. Root is still standing outside his crease with the keeper up but moves back on delivery, adjusting his balance expertly and raising his hands out of the line, as the ball leaps up.

Reddy then gets one to shoot through off a good length and it hits the keeper on the shin, deflecting to square leg for a bye.

Rishabh Pant’s injury hasn’t been completely disadvantageous for India. It has allowed the brilliant Dhruv Jurel to keep as his replacement: standing up to Akash Deep, bowling 85mph on a surface with real uneven bounce, is very impressive.

12:32 PM BST

OVER 18: ENG 61/3 (Root 9 Brook 5)

Jurel, the sub keeper, is standing up for Deep who is 8mph quicker than Reddy. As Dinesh Karthik says, they want to push both batsmen deep and are prepared to take caught behind out of the possible modes of dismissal because standing up to 85mph deliveries would give him no chance of snaffling an edge. But Deep needs to be relentlessly accurate and isn’t in this over, offering Root width to square drive for four, the stroke Crawley should have played instead of the his airy cover drive.

12:29 PM BST

OVER 17: ENG 56/3 (Root 4 Brook 5)

Root shuffles back with the keeper up and opens the face to run a single down to third man. I’d like to see a wagon wheel incorporating all his Test runs and gauge how wide the spokes are at third man and midwicket. They are his two strike-rotator strokes and so vital to his building of an innings. Reddy drops short to Brook who cuts it so savagely Sundar, at point, didn’t see it as the vapour trail breezed past his eyebrows.

12:25 PM BST

OVER 16: ENG 51/3 (Root 3 Brook 1)

Jurel is keeping deftly standing up to Reddy. Whether he should be given Pant is fit to bat I’m not so sure.

Brook looks far more frenetic at the start of his innings, as he did on the second evening at Edgbaston before making that serene century on day three. He charges Deep and misses with a wild yahoo and ends up playing out a maiden, playing roughly a third of the deliveries calmly.

12:20 PM BST

OVER 15: ENG 51/3 (Root 3 Brook 1)

Root brings up England’s fifty with a drive to the cover sweeper. Crawley reaches for a cover drive to the stick outswinger, gets there too soon and flashes it to backward point. Old butterfingers Jaiswal has now slathered his hands in Araldite. Enter Brook who is beaten by one that snakes past the edge, the first ball from Reddy to rear up off that good length. Up to the Tykes now if England are to make the 280-300 they are likely to need.

12:14 PM BST

Wicket!

Crawley c Jaiswal b Reddy 22 Well, when I wrote that no one deserves to be dropped for their second innings performance with the bat… Crawley weathered the Bumrah storm and has the bruises to show it then drives loosely to backward point and India’s tamest seamer has bagged him twice in the match. Good catch but, my word. FOW 50/3

12:13 PM BST

OVER 14: ENG 49/2 (Crawley 22 Root 2)

Root is batting a foot outside his crease and also uses his feet to advance. He is doing so to minimise the opportunity to be trapped leg-before. It’s tight enough to make Root play at every ball but he does so dexterously as usual and farms the strike with a pat through cover for a single.

Graham Gooch always says that when the ball, after hitting the pad, goes towards first slip or the wicketkeeper then it is likely to be LBW – and Ollie Pope’s dismissal is a case in point. Overall, it has been the most dramatic of first hours, making up for the dull and attritional cricket of the first three days. The pitch has woken up to start the process, especially for bowlers from the Nursery End.

12:07 PM BST

OVER 13: ENG 48/2 (Crawley 22 Root 1)

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who took two top-order wickets in the first innings including Crawley’s, replaces Bumrah. He starts on the money, nice and tight but at 77mph doesn’t extract the unpredictable bounce. Crawley steers a single off a full one through point, Root uses his feet to press a single through cover. Because he used his feet, Gill asks the keeper to stand up but it affects Reddy more than Crawley and he drags the last ball down. Crawley latches on to the gimme and pulls it hard through midwicket for four.

Electric first hour ends with India on top after that Pope lbw. This is raw and edgy Test cricket not far below the Stokes fightback after the Bairstow stumpgate rumpus.

12:00 PM BST

OVER 12: ENG 42/2 (Crawley 17 Root 0)

A sixth over in the spell for Siraj and he gets his second wicket. Bumrah has the better end but Siraj has done the damage. Another excellent use of wobble-seam dispatches Pope and Root’s entrance is delayed by drinks.

Ollie Pope now averages 19.6 in the second innings of Test matches – and that includes his 196 in Hyderabad.

I’ve always believed in the Blue Suede Shoes theory of importance, one for the money, two for the show. But that’s ridiculous.

11:58 AM BST

Wicket!

Pope lbw b Siraj 4 Much better line, catching Pope on the crease with his nip-backer. In the previous over he started it too wide. Now he adjusts perfectly and all three indicators were red. FOW 42/2

11:57 AM BST

India review

Pope lbw b Siraj  Height? Pinned on the knee roll by the nip-backer the ball after one shot through for four byes.

11:56 AM BST

OVER 11: ENG 38/1 (Crawley 17 Pope 4)

Sky shows Bumrah’s accuracy and how the ball is behaving differently almost every time he peppers that sweet spot. England have needed more luck than judgment to survive and are grafting there way through it. Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy will also be a threat and we have seen how the spinners can tie Stokes in knots by using the rough.

Crawley tries to work a ball off middle through midwicket but closes the face too soon and comes off the outside half of the bat to skewer through mid-on for two.

He has left well on length today and does so twice again.

I can’t see how anyone would deserve to be dropped for failing in the second innings here. Not that they are likely to drop any of the top six anyway.

11:49 AM BST

OVER 10: ENG 36/1 (Crawley 15 Pope 4)

Siraj using wobble seam and scrambled seam as well as an orthodoxly cantered seam, tails one through Pope’s gate, screeching past both his inside edge and the off stump. As Mel Jones says, it’s quiet out there because everyone is holding their breath.

Expect some shots now from England. Ollie Pope said this on the evening of day one: “You might see some more aggressive shorts when the pitch is moving or nipping around because that is the best way of putting pressure back on bowlers and stop them doing what they want to do.” No point being sitting ducks.

11:45 AM BST

OVER 9: ENG 36/1 (Crawley 15 Pope 4)

Sky’s replay shows that Siraj did not alter course and it was Duckett who bumped into him, clipping his shoulder. He may still be disciplined for the send-off but he did not initiate the physical contact.

Twice Crawley sneaks drives off the inside edge, the first squirting for two a la Sciver-Brunt, the second a genuine Harrow drive past the off-stump for four, only adding to India’s excitement and belief something is going to happen with every ball.

They are right. The entire crowd seems to be on the edge of their seats. I know I am.

11:41 AM BST

OVER 8: ENG 30/1 (Crawley 9 Pope 4)

Siraj is, of course, bowling from the Pavilion End not as I originally said and have urgently corrected. He is bowling well too and will be pawing the turf for an opportunity from the Nursery End. Crawley wafts at a couple of wider ones then clips two through midwicket before haring a leg-bye when he misses out on a flick.

That has to be a fine for Mohammed Siraj for screaming in Ben Duckett’s face and brushing past his shoulder. Remember that Kagiso Rabada was banned for venting near Joe Root in a Port Elizabeth Test when he never actually looked at the batsman after dismissing him.

11:35 AM BST

OVER 7: ENG 27/1 (Crawley 7 Pope 4)

Here be serpents. Crawley inside-edges another one that jumps up and nips back and wears it on the thigh pad then presses a defensive through point for a single. Bumrah keeps peppering that length and twice makes the ball spit up at Pope, the first smashing into his back elbow, the second taking the shoulder and sailing over slips for four. The ball is kicking off a good length so unpredictably that England may well start thinking a ball has their name on it and so make hay while they can.

This is superb viewing.

“Let’s give them hell,” Virat Kohli told India at Lord’s four years ago. There’s a similar intensity to their performance now, after the altercation between the sides last night. Mohammed Siraj got eight wickets in that 2021 Test; he celebrated that dismissal of Ben Duckett now with fierce gusto.

11:31 AM BST

OVER 6 ENG 22/1 (Crawley 6 Pope 0)

I know there’s not much sympathy for Zak Crwaley within the Telegraph community but this is an awful ordeal for him out there. He will already be black and blue.

Duckett tries to counter with an outrageous scoop over his shoulder from a very full delivery. Siraj snarls and bags his man two balls later.

Stuart Broad says he hopes Siraj’s ‘barge’ into Duckett was not intentional.

11:25 AM BST

Wicket!

Duckett c Bumrah b Siraj 12 Cloths a pull to mid-on after being done by the pace. Two balls earlier he had scooped Siraj, a manhood-cheapening shot for a fast bowler so Siraj gives him a fervent send-off, screaming ‘Come on!’ in his face and even bumping into him accidentally on purpose. FOW 22/1

Spicy! Proper send-off from Siraj, with shoulder contact between the two players. I’ve seen demerit points given for worse.

11:24 AM BST

OVER 5: ENG 18/0 (Crawley 6 Duckett 8)

As balm for Crawley’s nerves, Duckett actually takes two off the first ball this time with a firm, open-face press out to point who can’t gather at the first attempt when diving. He tries for two off the next ball, to, when Bumrah overpitches but hits it too close to the midwicket sweeper to get back in time and Crawley sends him back.

Another one takes off from a good length as Crawley leaves one that nips back and misses off-stump by a whisker then he chances his arm by driving and outswinger and sends it wide of the diving Gill at third slip at catchable height for four.

The ordeal continues with a good length delivery that shoots through at boot-lace height and skims past off-stump and he finally gets some respite but not before the pain of wearing another leaping one on the right glove. It’s not so much that Bumrah is making the ball talk. He’s making the pitch snap at Crawley like a rabid dog.

Spicy start this morning. Crawley struck painfully on the top hand by a nasty Bumrah snorter and a big lbw appeal from Siraj too to make it an uncomfortable start for the England opener who clashed with India last night. If England can survive this Bumrah spell unscathed they can set up the day. It would be a statement from Crawley to make runs here.

11:17 AM BST

OVER 4: ENG 11/0 (Crawley 2 Duckett 5)

Duckett, wisely again, gets off strike as soon as he can, reaching out to drive a single down to backward point. Siraj twice pins Crawley who is having a torrid time keeping out a series of wonderful deliveries but he gets away with missing the ball when flicking because of the slope.

What a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. Time for India to post a short leg from the Nursery End? The sort of ball that makes you think we will get a positive result either way this Test match.

11:15 AM BST

NOT OUT

Missing leg. India lose a review.

11:15 AM BST

India review

Crawley lbw b Siraj  Angling down? Hit him on the knee roll with a scrambled seam delivery.

11:12 AM BST

OVER 3: ENG 10/0 (Crawley 2 Duckett 4)

Ben Duckett is on strike for Jasprit Bumrah for the first time and wisely gets off strike with a clip off leg and middle round the corner for a single. Bumrah finds that jarring length for Crawley and rattles his elbows by hitting the splice off a good length. Crawley, bat almost perfectly vertically in the up position as the bowler bowls, is getting it down straighter.

The next ball is a brute that spits up off that good length, maybe off a crack, and jumps alarmingly to hit the top hand as Crawley flinches and drops the bat in pain. The ball balloons to a silly mid-on position and Bumrah, changing direction in his followthrough, darts across the pitch and slides and only fails to grab it by a couple of inches. The ball hits him on the knuckles on the half-volley. That was truly unplayable.

This is a cracking passage. Crawley has worn one on the left hand, after milking one on the right last night. Would have been an amazing catch by Bumrah.

11:06 AM BST

OVER 2: ENG 9/0 (Crawley 2 Duckett 3)

Anti-climactically Siraj sprays his first ball down the legside and it drifts down for four byes. The next ball is pitched up in the corridor and it swings away. Duckett drills it crisply but uppishly through mid-off for four. Crawley has adjusted his guard from the first innings and has his right big toe on off-stump rather than his bat because his stance is quite open. He gropes at one on an awkward length that wasn’t really there for the drive but it scuttles under his bat and misses off-stump, making the cordon gasp. He plays the last two solidly, driving to cover without throwing his hands through the line and defending to mid-on. Uniquely for me after 20 years of doing this, I don’t have to say what the lead is. It’s exactly England’s score.

11:00 AM BST

The umpire calls play

Mohammed Siraj has the ball and is tearing in from the Pavilion End.

10:59 AM BST

England’s third innings’ travails

In the Bazball era, the third innings has been the lowest-scoring of the match – and the fourth innings, incredibly, the highest. England have often thrived with the ball in the third innings – though not last week, of course – but have rarely done so with the bat. That must change today if they are to avoid going 2-1 down in the series. A perfect day for it at Lord’s too.

10:58 AM BST

Buzz words

Good morning from Lord’s, where there’s a lovely buzz in the air. I like day four crowds here, because they tend to be a little younger due to associates members being let in, and the very slightly cheaper ticket prices. It’s been cooler and windier this morning, but the sun is poking through now.

There will definitely be some spice out in the middle first thing, after last night’s fireworks, which were great fun. Does Zak Crawley have balls?

England will have a bit of a headache about Shoaib Bashir after this game. His left pinkie injury doesn’t look great, and while he may bowl in this match, that doesn’t make him fit to bat or field in the next one. I could see him being ruled out of the series, to be honest

10:50 AM BST

Tricky third innings

Sir Alastair Cook cited the 2015 Cardiff Ashes Test as a model for what England need to do today. There’s a more recent one when the teams’ first-innings scores were closer and England batted at the perfect tempo to make a match-winning score.

10:40 AM BST

Time for Sir Richie to oil the wheels

What does a Match Referee actually do, you might well ask. Well, the best of them oil the wheels behind the scenes and today Sir Richie Richardson (who represented West Indies and of course Yorkshire) has to prove himself to be one of that number.

The role of Match Referee becomes most important when two evenly matched sides start squaring up in hot weather and in the absence of strong umpiring. Richardson has to call the umpires together and tell them to be firmer (umpire Saikat is too inexperienced and Paul Reiffel, who was very good, is probably looking for a quiet life before retiring). They have stood idly by while the over-rates have plummeted and the behaviour of the players has unravelled from there.

Then the Match Ref has to call the two captains and remind them that the actions of themselves and their teams will always be remembered, especially their actions at Lord’s. Get on with the cricket.

10:33 AM BST

Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s briefing

10:32 AM BST

Preview: The needle and the damage done

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of day four of the compelling third Test between England and India at Lord’s. The weather may be soporific and the run rates so traditional that ‘boring’ is being bandied about but it’s quite the opposite. Two teams who are neck and neck on a wearing pitch that now has rough to go with a trampette on a good length from the Nursery End, galvanised by the needle from last night plus the prospect of champion bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah and the two match-winners from Edgbaston for India who have had two nights’ rest since they last bowled – and Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes, the Wellington Road wizard, for England, makes today unmissable.

The most salient points about last night’s beef are how much the English professionals, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Stuart Broad, Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook and Steven Finn, enjoyed it. You could hardly stop them giggling and Harry Brook’s face while Ben Duckett, the peak of his helmet at the height of Mohammed Siraj’s sternum, backed up his mate, Zak Crawley who successfully procrastinated until a second over became impossible, told us all we need to know. They love confrontation and tempers flaring. There are those who will say, like they do when other sportsmen square up, ‘nobody wants to see that’ but the truth is a lot of people do, particularly those who have played the game.

The other conclusion is that hypocrisy is really refusing to see the flaws in ourselves that we rail about in others. India have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable in terms of over-rates and delays for treatment for cramp, pre-existing external injuries and regular refreshment to breaking point and England have pushed back. The reason that both have done so is that the umpires and match referee have let them do so, as has the ICC in refusing to sanction desultory over-rates in any meaningful way. Until that’s addressed, we are stuck with it.