NDTV Consulting Editor Boria Majumdar believes that all three results are possible in the third Test match between India and England at Lord's. After the third day's play concluded without England losing a wicket, the match is delicately poised.
India leveled the score to England's first innings total of 387, thanks to impressive batting performances from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. With two days of play remaining, the match can still swing in any direction.
England's altered approach in the Lord's Test, adopting a more cautious strategy, has been a talking point. This shift in tactics seems influenced by their defeat in the Edgbaston Test. Majumdar suggests that England's "arrogance" in Birmingham led to India taking advantage. The change reflects a move towards conventional Test cricket, a departure from the aggressive "Bazball" approach.
On the first day, England scored 251 runs for 4 wickets, indicating their restrained approach. According to Majumdar, India's bowlers displayed discipline, preventing England from scoring easy runs. Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and Mohammed Siraj bowled with tight lines.
During the first day's play, there were instances of banter between the Indian players, including Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, and the English batsmen. Majumdar doesn't believe that the verbal volleys had a significant impact on the English players' performance.
The second day saw India's KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant take the game to England, putting India in a potentially advantageous position. However, England's resilience on the third day, holding all wickets, has brought the game back into balance.
Majumdar highlighted that anything can happen with the new ball. He noted that India could quickly change the game by picking up a couple of wickets. He felt the game was in balance on day one due to the final partnership between Ben Stokes and Joe Root.
Looking back at the series, Majumdar pointed out that India could have been leading 2-0. He recalled instances in previous matches where India had strong positions but couldn't capitalize fully.
