3 things India need to do right to dominate Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test ft. Jasprit Bumrah

Day 1 of the third Test between India and England at Lord's on Thursday, July 10 was very un-Bazball like. The hosts won the toss and batted first this time. However, England only posted 251 on the board in the 83 overs that they faced, scoring at a run rate of just over three.

England got off to a decent start as their openers added 43 in 13.3 overs. However, both Ben Duckett (23) and Zak Crawley (18) fell to Nitish Kumar Reddy in the same over. Duckett was strangled down leg, attempting a pull, while Crawley got a probing delivery outside off, which he could only nick to the keeper.

Joe Root (99*) anchored the innings, adding 109 runs for the third wicket with Ollie Pope (44) and an unbroken 79 for the fifth wicket with Ben Stokes (39*). The latter battled injury, but ensured that he did not give his wicket away.

Ahead of Day 2 of the Lord's Test, we look at three things India need to do right on Friday to dominate proceedings.

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#1 Pick up 2-3 wickets in the first session without giving away too many runs

India picked up only four wickets in 83 overs on Day 1 of the Lord's Test against England. However, what their bowlers did well was to ensure that they did not allow the batters to completely dominate proceedings. While Akash Deep went at 4.41 runs per over, all the other bowlers were economical.

Because India did not give away too many runs on the opening day, they can still make a strong comeback on Day 2 of the Lord's Test if they pick up two or three wickets in the first session. The opening burst of Jasprit Bumrah would be crucial. India would be hoping that he can strike early with the second new ball. If he gets a couple of early wickets, India could gain the ascendancy.

Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep's performance would also be crucial in the first session on Day 2 of the Lord's Test. Like Bumrah, Siraj also has the ability to make the new ball talk. And while Akash Deep was disappointing on Day 1, he showed what he is capable of in Birmingham. Apart from picking up wickets, Team India also need to ensure that they keep things tight with the ball.

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#2 Ensure England's 'tail' does not wag

Even if India manage to strike key blows in the first session on Day 2 at Lord's, they need to ensure that England's tail does not wag. Often in the past, the visitors have been guilty of not running through the tail quickly. As the result, the batting side has ended up posting a challenging total. There have also been instances when India have lost Test matches owing to their failure to knock over the tail.

If we look at England's playing XI for the Lord's Test, they don't really have a tail as such. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who was exceptional in Birmingham, is followed by Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse, both of whom have more than decent ability with the bat. Jofra Archer can also chip in with handy runs, so Shoaib Bashir is the basically the only genuine tailender in England's playing XI.

India's bowlers could be challenged by England's lower order on Day 2 of the Lord's Test. How Bumrah and co. respond to the task on hand could be a defining factor in determining which team has the upper hand after Day 2 of the contest.

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#3 Make a solid start with the bat on Day 2

After bowling out England on Day 2 at Lord's, India must also make sure that they get off to a solid start with the bat. The visitors are likely to encounter a tricky period just before stumps on Friday. They need to ensure that they do not lose more than one wicket.

If they go to stumps on Day 2 of the third Test with all 10 wickets in hand, that would be an ideal situation for India. Shubman Gill and co. would then be in a firm position to dominate proceedings with the willow on Saturday. On the contrary, if they lose a couple of wickets, England would be back in the contest at Lord's.