India vs England: Bazball mellows at Lord's, visitors tease the hosts

An approach adapted so excitedly, one propped up as just the element needed to ensure the longevity of Test cricket, shaking after a single defeat sounds a bit exaggerated. But the opening day of the third India vs England Test witnessed Bazball taking a back seat. The start of the contest at Lord's itself happened with a surprise. Ben Stokes, the flag bearer of England's Bazball era, has opted to bowl first in 12 out of the 20 times that he has won the toss as England's Test captain.

Meanwhile, only two of those 12 instances have come at home, the arena where Bazball has proven to shine the brightest. However, after two matches in the ongoing series against India, Stokes changed his stance. As Day 1 of the Lord's Test unfolded, it became clear that a lot more than just the decision at the toss had changed in the hosts' approach to the contest.

Bazball steps back: England scores at a rate of just 3.00 on Day 1 of the third India vs England Test 

After the first two India vs England Tests were played on dead pitches, the anticipation was for Lord's to turn lively. The initial pitch report suggested that Lord's would trouble the batters at the start, if not throughout the contest. However, the conditions unfolded to be just as dead as the previous contests. The coin flipped in favour of Ben Stokes once again, who shocked the fraternity by opting to bat first.

Bowling first in the series, England won the Headingley Test by 5 wickets. However, the same decision failed the hosts in Leeds, as the visitors scripted a massive 336-run victory. The win in the second match marked India's first-ever Test win at Edgbaston. Moreover, by winning the Edgbaston Test, India levelled the series 1-1 before the action headed to Lord's.

At Lord's, England seemed to have arrived after learning from their past decisions. The pitch played perfectly on Day 1 to justify Stokes’s call. The Indian attack, with Jasprit Bumrah back, received no support from the surface. However, despite the cherry acting as anticipated, England mellowed in their run-scoring. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley opened meekly, playing Test cricket in its true red-ball essence. Duckett found the first boundary in the second over off Akash Deep after Bumrah completed the first over in search of some swing at Lord's.

The run rate stayed low, much like the cherry on the Lord's surface. The breakthrough came in the 14th over as Nitish Kumar Reddy scalped two in the same over, dismissing the English opening duo. Joe Root and Ollie Pope joined the action, but their scoring didn’t suggest an attacking intent. The partnership grew strong, but the strength came at the cost of England taming down Bazball. As the run rate hovered around 3.00, the Indian captain, Shubman Gill, even chirped at the Englishmen, terming their approach as “boring.”

“No more entertaining cricket, laads. Welcome back to boring Test cricket, boys,” Gill was heard saying at the slips.

Joe Root, however, kept at it, slowly but steadily inching towards another century. Pope was dismissed on the first ball of the final session as Dhruv Jurel took an impressive catch off Ravindra Jadeja. Harry Brook fell to an inswinger from Jasprit Bumrah soon after. Ben Stokes came out and matched the rhythm set by the earlier batters. With no intention of showing needless aggression, Stokes and Root cruised patiently against the Indian attack. 

At the end of the day's play, England’s score read 251 for 4 in 83 overs. The 251, meanwhile, had come at a run rate of only 3.02. The previous Tests witnessed the likes of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna proving costly, with Krishna even going at over 7.00 economy at Edgbaston. However, none of the Indian bowlers were punished at even a rate of 3.50, barring Akash Deep, who went for 4.40 at Lord's.

Mohammed Siraj also joined the sledging party kicked off by his captain, taking potshots at England for leaving Bazball behind. Scoring at only 2.92 early in the contest, the first session marked England’s second-slowest scoring rate in a session at home, behind only to their show against New Zealand at the same venue in 2022, where they scored at 2.72. It remains to be seen if Bazball keeps a low profile in the upcoming matches of the series as well. Siraj, meanwhile, tried to provoke Root, mocking their slow scoring. 

“Where is Bazball? Baz Baz Bazball, come on, I want to see,” Siraj said to Root.

The day closed with Joe Root unbeaten on 99 off 191. His partner at the other end, Ben Stokes, who was seen in visible discomfort toward the concluding moments of the day, was batting on 39 off 102 at Stumps on Day 1. While Bazball surely seems to have taken a hit, the hosts have managed a steady grasp on the proceedings. Root threatens to turn dangerous for the visitors who are buoyed after their victorious show in Leeds.