3 things India need to do right on Day 3 to gain the upper hand in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test ft. Mohammed Siraj

England made a strong comeback on Day 2 of the first Test against India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, June 21. Replying to India's first innings score of 471, they went to stumps at 209-3 after 49 overs, with Ollie Pope unbeaten on 100 and Harry Brook on zero. The hosts trail India by 262 runs with seven wickets in hand and will be keen to get a first innings lead.

Earlier, India resumed their first innings at 359-3, with Shubman Gill unbeaten on 127 and Rishabh Pant on 65. The latter went on to reach a brilliant hundred, his seventh in Test cricket, to surpass MS Dhoni. However, India lost their way after Gill's dismissal for 147. From 430-3, they crumbled to 471 all out. For England, skipper Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue claimed four wickets each.

After two days of play, the Headingley Test between India and England seems finely balanced. On that note, let's look at three things India need to do right on Day 3 to regain the advantage in the contest.

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#1 Pacers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna need to lift their game

It was a case of deja vu for India as Jasprit Bumrah claimed all the three England wickets to fall on Day 2 in Leeds, while the rest failed to make any impact. Bumrah bowled 13 overs in which he claimed the big wickets of Zak Crawley (4), Ben Duckett (62) and Joe Root (28). He could have had Harry Brook's wicket as well in the last over of the day had he not overstepped.

While Bumrah excelled yet again, the rest of the bowlers failed to make a mark. Mohammed Siraj bowled 14 overs and had disappointing figures of 0-50. Prasidh Krishna was also poor. He bowled 10 overs and conceded 56 runs without claiming a wicket. India failed to make an impact with the ball in Australia because Bumrah was their only potent weapon. They cannot repeat the mistake.

Siraj and Prasidh need to lift their game and provide better support to Bumrah on Day 3 in Leeds. If they fail to make an impact, England could benefit massively. Not only Siraj and Prasidh, even Shardul Thakur will have to prove his worth with the ball. In a nutshell, India's bowling department needs to show significant improvement on Day 3 of the contest.

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#2 India need to hold their catches

India would have been in a much better position at stumps on Day 2 in Leeds had they held onto their catches. As many as three chances went down on Saturday - all of them off Bumrah's bowling.

In the fifth over, Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped Duckett at gully. Rather surprisingly, Ravindra Jadeja also dropped a catch of the same batter at backward point a couple of overs later.

Off the last ball of the 31st over, Jaiswal again dropped Pope at third slip as India's forgettable day in the field continued. The visitors cannot afford another poor day in the field. They need to hold their catches.

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#3 India must get a lead of at least 100 runs

Having failed to put up a 550-plus score on the board in their first innings, Team India must now ensure that they don't allow England to take the crucial first innings lead. The hosts are trailing India in 262 runs, with seven wickets in hand. England's endeavor will be to go past India's total by stumps.

As for India, they need to ensure that they take lead of at least 100 runs. For that, the visitors will need to strike early and make sure that England do not get going right away in the opening session on Day 3. If India can knock over a couple of wickets in the first hour on Sunday, they can put the pressure back on the hosts. Either way, Day 3 could go a long way in determining where the Test is heading.