By Ed Osmond
LONDON (Reuters) -Ravindra Jadeja’s battling half century led India to 163-9, only 29 runs behind England at tea on the final day of a gripping and fluctuating third test at Lord’s on Monday.
Joining forces with India reeling on 112-8 and England looking on course for victory, Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah resisted doggedly for nearly two hours.
Jadeja was given out lbw to Chris Woakes but successfully reviewed the decision before heaving the next delivery over mid-wicket for six, one of the few attacking shots attempted in an attritional session.
England finally made the breakthrough when Bumrah, on five, skied an attempted pull off Ben Stokes and was caught by substitute fielder Sam Cook.
The majority of the crowd erupted with a mixture of joy and relief but Jadeja continued to frustrate England, reaching his 50, off 150 balls, by edging Stokes over the slips for four.
He was 56 not out at the interval with Mohammed Siraj on two.
England claimed four wickets in the morning to take charge of the match.
Rishabh Pant played an extraordinary one-handed straight drive for four off Jofra Archer to move to nine, but the fast bowler responded two balls later with an excellent delivery which uprooted his off stump.
Stokes snared KL Rahul lbw for 39, the England captain dropping to his knees and imploring the umpire to give him out.
He refused to do so but England called for a review and the decision was overturned to huge cheers from the crowd.
Washington Sundar was next to fall for a duck, Archer leaping to his right to take a superb one-handed catch off his own bowling.
Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy frustrated England with solid defence in a partnership of 30 until Woakes found the edge of Reddy’s bat just before lunch to give the hosts a huge lift as they left the field to warm applause from a packed crowd.
The series is level at 1-1.
(Reporting by Ed Osmond, Editing by Christian Radnedge)
