England’s top order was toppled as India’s bowlers turned up the heat at Lord’s, taking control on the fourth morning of the third Rothesay Test.
With tensions still high following the ill-tempered time-wasting row that erupted late on Saturday evening, the tourists produced a scintillating session to leave England 98 for four at lunch following a tied first innings.
Mohammed Siraj was perhaps guilty of taking things a step too far, bellowing in Ben Duckett’s face after dismissing the left-hander before the pair bumped shoulders as they passed.
Four wickets fall before lunch 🥪
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Stokes and Root unbeaten with our lead at 98 runs 🏏
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That is one of several incidents that will surely draw the attention of the match referee but India used the heightened emotions to their advantage in a torrid morning for batting.
Duckett fell to a ghastly shot as he tried to hit his way out of trouble, Ollie Pope came and went for four and Zak Crawley received a torturous working over before finally departing.
Harry Brook was bowled attempting to sweep seam bowler Akash Deep, getting carried away on the counter-attack, leaving Joe Root (17 not out) and Ben Stokes to try and muster a fightback.
Jasprit Bumrah set the tone with an outstanding opening burst from the Nursery End, an inexplicably wicketless five-over spell of constant threat.
His sixth ball of the morning exploded violently, knocking the bat out of Crawley’s hand as he jerked back in self-preservation.
Having put a target on his own back with his exaggerated delaying tactics on day three, Crawley was in India’s sights.
Duckett was first to go, guilty of an ugly hack across the line at Siraj that looped to mid-on.
Siraj marked the moment with an eye-popping celebration that ended a yard in front of the batter. Neither took a backward step, nudging shoulders as Duckett walked off.
Pope never settled, scoring his only runs from a thick edge over the slips and beaten a couple more times before Siraj ripped one back to pin him lbw.
Crawley’s travails continued, slashing wildly at Siraj’s outswingers, dragging Bumrah past his stumps and hitting fresh air more regularly than leather.
Having somehow seen off the world’s number one bowler, he gifted his wicket to the medium pace of Nitish Kumar Reddy.
With two gullies waiting for an errant drive, he walked headlong into the trap. Brook came out firing, twice dropping to the floor to scoop Deep for four then lashing him for a steepling six into the members’ seating.
But his exuberance came with a cost. In Deep’s next over, Brook tried to manufacture another boundary, bowled round his legs in calamitous fashion aiming a pre-meditated sweep.
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