Jadeja, Nitish Lead India’s Fightback After KL Rahul’s Century at Lord’s

London, July 12 – A composed partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy helped India regain stability on Day 3 of the third Test against England at Lord’s, following a flurry of setbacks in the post-lunch session.

India stood at 316/5 in 91 overs at Tea, trailing England’s 387 by 71 runs. Jadeja was unbeaten on 49 off 70 balls, while Reddy held firm on 25 off 77 balls, despite surviving multiple run-out scares.

The session began on a high with KL Rahul bringing up his second century of the series, a stylish knock highlighted by resilience and timing. However, his joy was short-lived as he departed for exactly 100 off 177 deliveries, edging a flighted delivery from Shoaib Bashir to Harry Brook at slip just one ball after reaching the milestone.

Rahul’s dismissal triggered nervous moments, including three mix-ups between Jadeja and Nitish. The first almost cost Reddy his wicket, but a wayward throw from Ollie Pope saved him. Moments later, confusion resurfaced, with Reddy again caught mid-pitch—only to be spared as Pope missed another run-out chance. A third moment of chaos saw both batters stranded mid-pitch, but Ben Duckett failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

Adding to England’s worries, Bashir sustained a finger injury while trying to stop a Jadeja drive, forcing him off the field. Joe Root was brought in to complete the over.

Earlier in the day, Rishabh Pant entertained the Lord’s crowd with an aggressive 74 off 112 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes. His fifty came in flamboyant fashion—courtesy of a six off Ben Stokes. However, just before lunch, Pant was run out by a direct hit from Stokes, halting India’s momentum.

England had earlier posted 387 in their first innings, anchored by Joe Root’s century (104) and lower-order contributions from Brydon Carse (56) and Jamie Smith.

With the ball, Jasprit Bumrah led the charge for India, claiming 5/74 in a sensational spell. Siraj and Nitish picked up two wickets each, while Jadeja chipped in with one.

As the match hangs in balance, India will aim to narrow the deficit and take a lead, with Jadeja and Nitish’s partnership being central to those plans.