Team India will search for early wickets on day two of the third Test against England at the Lord's Cricket Ground to prevent the hosts from amassing a mighty total on a tricky surface. With England already reaching 251/5, the onus is on the tourists to take the last five scalps to stop the opposition from getting away with the contest.
Although Nitish Kumar Reddy got Team India dismissed the openers in his very first over, Joe Root and Ollie Pope bed themselves in. They resisted the temptation to play their trade in Bazball-style of play, keeping in mind the two-paced nature of the pitch. The pair crafted an attritional style of cricket and shared a 109-run partnership to set things up for the hosts.
Ben Stokes joined Root after tea as the pair finished the day with an unbroken 79-run stand. Root, who walked off unbeaten at 99*, is on course for his 37th ton, going past Rahul Dravid's tally. England will be wary of the damage the new ball can do; hence, Root and Stokes are likely to be watchful in the opening session of day two.
"Coming to this tour, I would say, working with Morne Morkel has been great for me" - Nitish Kumar Reddy
At the post-day presser, Reddy revealed that he already had targets to improve his bowling ahead of the England tour, given the 22-year-old's promising show during the series in Australia. Reddy disclosed, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"After the Australia tour I felt like I have to improve my bowling and my consistency. That's what I looked [at]. And yeah, Pat is my captain [in the IPL], and he's been brilliant in Australia, and I have asked him [for] some tips and he has been telling me how things would have been done in Australia, how can I go through in Australia. And that's a great experience for me, sharing with Pat Cummins. Coming to this tour, I would say, working with Morne Morkel has been great for me."
