Team India let a golden chance slip through their fingers early on Day 2 of the third Test against England at Lord’s, as KL Rahul dropped a regulation catch in the slips, leaving bowler Mohammed Siraj visibly frustrated. The incident occurred during the 87th over of England's first innings in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, at a crucial time when India were pressing for an early breakthrough.
Mohammed Siraj delivered a well-directed back-of-a-length ball outside off-stump to England’s young wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith. The delivery shaped away slightly after pitching, drawing a thick edge off Smith’s bat. The ball flew at a comfortable shoulder height towards second slip, where KL Rahul was positioned. Despite moving to his right and getting both hands to the ball, Rahul failed to hold on as the ball struck his fingertips and slipped out.
The drop gave Smith a lifeline and visibly shifted the momentum. Siraj, who had set up the dismissal perfectly, couldn’t hide his disappointment. The pacer held his head in disbelief and stared back at Rahul with an expression of shock and frustration. The missed opportunity added to India’s woes, as they looked to seize control of the match early on Day 2.
Such moments can often prove costly in high-stakes Test matches, and with Lord’s known for punishing fielding errors, the Indian team will hope this lapse doesn’t come back to haunt them.
Video: Joe Root Equals Steve Smith For Most Test Tons Against Team India, Scores His 37th On Day 2 At Lord's
Veteran England batter Joe Root completed his hundred in the first over of day two at the Lord's Cricket Ground, albeit with a loose shot as he got a boundary off Jasprit Bumrah's bowling. In the process, the right-handed batter equaled Steve Smith's record of 11 Test centuries against Team India.
The Yorkshire batter finished day one of the fixture unbeaten on 99 as England finished with their noses ahead at 251/4. The former England captain had also broken a handful of records on day one, including passing 3000 Test runs against India and the second behind Ricky Ponting to cross 1700 runs against India at home. Additionally, he also became the leading run-getter at Lord's across formats with 2526 runs in 33 games. With 37 tons now, the 34-year-old is the active player with most Test tons.
