Washington Sundar Spins a Web as India Set Sights on 2-1 Lead at Lord’s

Sundar’s 4-22 and India’s fiery pace attack bowl out England for 192, setting up a 193-run target with four sessions in hand

India are on the verge of taking a crucial 2-1 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series after a superb bowling performance on Day Four at Lord’s. England were dismissed for 192 in 62.1 overs, leaving India with a target of 193 runs to chase, with 28.5 overs left in the final session and all of Day Five to complete the task.

The day belonged to Washington Sundar, whose masterful control, flight, and drift earned him impressive figures of 4-22. Using the softened old ball, Sundar spun a web around England’s middle and lower order, dismissing key batters like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jamie Smith. His spell ensured that England’s brief resistance crumbled rapidly after tea.

India’s seamers laid the foundation early. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah claimed two wickets each, while young pacers Nitish Kumar Reddy and Akash Deep chipped in with one apiece. The new ball was used expertly, with India relentlessly targeting the stumps and applying consistent pressure.

England resumed Day Four on 2-0, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett at the crease. Duckett showed early aggression with a boundary off Siraj, but the bowler had the last laugh when Duckett, cramped for room, mistimed a pull straight to Bumrah at mid-on. Siraj celebrated wildly, even shouting in Duckett’s face—an action likely to come under the match referee’s scrutiny.

The pressure soon mounted. Siraj struck again, this time trapping Ollie Pope LBW, with India successfully overturning the umpire’s not-out call. Crawley, who had angered India with time-wasting tactics the previous day, fell soon after, edging a full delivery from Reddy to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully. Reddy gave Crawley a send-off, fueling the tense atmosphere between the two sides.

Harry Brook provided a brief spark with three boundaries and a six off Akash Deep. But Deep hit back with a perfect delivery that shattered Brook’s middle stump as he attempted an audacious sweep, falling for 23.

Joe Root, England’s top scorer in the innings with 40, looked settled but was undone by Sundar’s clever drift. Trying to sweep, Root was bowled—becoming the second batter after Brook to perish in identical fashion. Ben Stokes, who had shown great restraint until then, followed a similar path. After being dropped earlier, he tried to repeat a successful sweep off Sundar but was bowled as the ball skidded under his bat. Furious with himself, Stokes banged his bat into the ground as England fell to 181-7.

Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, struck with a lethal yorker to dismiss Brydon Carse for just one. He then followed it up with a peach of a delivery to castle Chris Woakes, who was beaten by seam movement down the Lord’s slope.

Fittingly, it was Sundar who wrapped up the innings, using subtle drift to beat Jofra Archer’s outside edge and knock over his off stump. Shoaib Bashir was the 12th England batter to be bowled in this Test—a testament to India’s consistent line and stump-hitting accuracy.

Earlier in the match, both teams had scored 387 in their first innings, with KL Rahul’s century standing out for India. England’s second innings collapse—from 154/4 to 192 all out—has now left the visitors with a golden opportunity to chase a modest target and go ahead in the series.

With four sessions remaining, India will be confident of chasing down the 193-run target, but the challenge lies in negotiating the famous Lord’s pitch against a skilled English attack under possibly overcast skies. If India succeed, it would mark a significant away win and give them the edge in a tightly contested series.

Brief Scores:
England: 387 & 192 in 62.1 overs (Joe Root 40, Ben Stokes 33; Washington Sundar 4-22, Mohammed Siraj 2-31)
India: 387 in 119.2 overs (KL Rahul 100; Chris Woakes 3-84)
India need 193 runs to win with four sessions remaining