"Baz Baz Bazball. Come on, I want to see" - Mohammed Siraj cheekily taunts England batter over defensive strategy in ENG vs IND 3rd Test [Watch]

Team India pacer Mohammed Siraj sledged ace batter Joe Root over England's cautious gameplan after the Lunch Break on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord's on Thursday, July 10. The hosts had to be watchful against a probing Indian bowling unit who were getting the ball to move around in the air, as well as off the wicket.

The England openers had a cagey start in the first hour of play against Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep with the new ball, before being dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy. After the double strike, the pair of Ollie Pope and Joe Root were gritty to ensure there were no more casualties in the session.

At the start of the second session, the hosts were completely pinned down by the pair of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, which included a stretch of 28 dot balls. The batting pair, however, were patient, and solid in their defence to keep the bowlers at bay.

In the first two Tests in Headingley and Edgbaston, respectively, England employed a rather free-flowing approach, considering the flat wickets on offer. However, on this occasion, the batters had to respect the conditions and the bowlers, to avoid India running away with the game.

Team India skipper Shubman Gill had sledged the batters from the slip cordon with taunts of 'Welcome to Boring Test Cricket'. Siraj, who does not shy away from confrontation, also had a go at Joe Root after he missed contact with a cut shot.

"Baz Baz Bazball. Come on, I want to see," Siraj's comments were caught on the stump mic (via Sony Sports Network).

The second session also witnessed the second slowest fifty for Joe Root on home soil since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach. The run of play after the Lunch break also marked the slowest session for the Ben Stokes-led side since 2022, with a net run-rate of just 2.63, up until the 46th over.

England's Joe Root and Ollie Pope survive the entire second session in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

The batting pair endured some tight bowling, the occasional trickery from the pitch, and taunts by the visitors, to escape unscathed in the second session of Day 1. At the time of writing, England head into the Tea Break with a score of 153-2.

Team India introduced spin from both ends towards the end of the session, as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar both got an over each. The hosts scored 70 runs off 24 overs in the second session at a run rate of 2.92.