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KL Rahul stood firm on the crease as India raced to 90/2 before rain forced early stumps on Day 3 of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds on June 22. Rahul played a stylish innings of 47 runs. However, England managed to nullify India's first-innings advantage by scoring 465 runs. This left the visitors facing another challenging day in the field. India's fielding performance was subpar, as they dropped five catches. Additionally, apart from the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian pace bowlers struggled to make a significant impact. As a result, England managed to level the match after India, led by Shubman Gill, had posted a total of 471 runs in their first innings.
At the end of the day's play, India reached a score of 90 for the loss of two wickets, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill remaining at the crease. Earlier, England's Brydon Carse dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal with a ball that seamed, and Ben Stokes claimed the wicket of debutant Sai Sudharsan for the second time in the match, with Zak Crawley taking the catch at mid-wicket. KL Rahul's innings was a treat to watch, featuring elegant cover drives off the fast bowlers for most of his seven boundaries. He appeared comfortable despite the overcast conditions at Headingley.
Play was briefly interrupted by rain, with India holding a lead of 96 runs at that point. In an extended afternoon session, England's Harry Brook was unlucky to be dismissed just one run short of a century, scoring 99. Later, Jasprit Bumrah completed a well-deserved five-wicket haul, which gave India a narrow six-run lead in the first innings. Before Bumrah dismissed Josh Tongue to conclude England's innings, Chris Woakes contributed a useful 38 runs off 55 balls, capitalizing on a somewhat predictable Indian pace attack to bring his side close to India's first-innings total of 471. England managed to score boundaries with ease throughout the afternoon session, accumulating 138 runs in 23.4 overs while losing five wickets.
Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna dismissed both Jamie Smith (40 off 52) and Harry Brook (99 off 112) with short-pitched deliveries. However, he proved to be expensive, conceding 128 runs in his 20 overs. The utilization of bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur was again limited, raising questions about his selection in the team. Jasprit Bumrah, who was the standout performer among the Indian bowlers, picked up his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
India's fielding performance has been a significant cause for concern throughout the match. This was further emphasized when Harry Brook, who had already been dropped twice earlier, was given another lifeline at 82 runs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping the catch off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling. Fortunately for India, Brook could not fully capitalize on these opportunities and was eventually dismissed for 99 runs in the 88th over. Despite taking the new ball after 80 overs, India's bowlers failed to effectively utilize it to their advantage.
Captain Shubman Gill's decision-making also came under scrutiny. Some of his tactical moves, such as introducing Ravindra Jadeja late in the session and bringing Jasprit Bumrah back for a brief spell towards the end, appeared questionable. Earlier in the day, during the morning session, Harry Brook attacked an inconsistent Indian pace bowling attack, helping England reach a score of 327 for 5 by the lunch break.
Resuming their innings from an overnight score of 209 for 3, England, led by Brook's aggressive batting, managed to add 118 runs in just 28 overs. However, India did manage to take two crucial wickets in the form of overnight centurion Ollie Pope, who was dismissed for 106 runs off 137 balls, and England's captain Ben Stokes, who scored 20 runs off 52 balls. Similar to the second day's play, the other Indian pacers struggled to match the accuracy and effectiveness of Jasprit Bumrah. Earlier, towards the end of day two, Brook was dropped by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on 46 runs shortly before lunch, adding to India's woes.
Ravindra Jadeja managed to extract sharp turn from the rough patches on the pitch. However, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was unable to hold onto a rising delivery off Jadeja's bowling. In the same over, Brook completed his 12th Test fifty, further increasing the frustration for the Indian team, whose catching performance throughout the match has been notably poor. Led by Shubman Gill, the Indian players were also vocal about their concerns regarding a worn-out Dukes ball during the session. The umpires eventually relented before the 75th over, with the new ball becoming available after the 80th over. Despite these factors, the session largely belonged to Brook, who showcased audacious strokeplay right from the beginning.
In the first over of the day, Prasidh Krishna bowled two loose deliveries which Brook promptly dispatched for a boundary through point and a six over mid-wicket, setting the tone for his aggressive innings. Brook's approach against the Indian pacers, including Jasprit Bumrah, was particularly noteworthy as he frequently charged down the track to execute aerial drives over extra cover. In his subsequent over, Krishna was fortunate to get the wicket of Ollie Pope, as the England number three edged a short and wide delivery to the wicketkeeper to return to the hut at 99.
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