India Faces Challenge on Day 5 of Third Test Against England
India's Struggles Heading into Day 5
As the third Test between India and England approaches Day 5 at the iconic Home of Cricket, the Indian team finds itself in a precarious position, having concluded Day 4 at 58/4 while pursuing a target of 193 runs on Sunday.
Prior to this Test at Lord's, India had successfully chased down targets of 200 runs or less on 58 different occasions.
This impressive record includes 46 victories, eight draws, and four defeats. The losses while chasing targets under 200 runs occurred in Bridgetown (1997), Galle (2015), Birmingham (2018), and Mumbai (2024).
India's Chasing Record Against England
In matches against England, India has successfully chased down targets of 200 runs or less nine times, with one loss and one draw.
The last time India fell short while chasing such a target against England was in 2018 in Birmingham, where despite a stellar century from former captain Virat Kohli, the team lost by 31 runs. Sam Curran was awarded player of the match for his all-round performance.
The Stakes on Day 5
With 135 runs needed to surpass England at the Home of Cricket, the outcome of this match will significantly impact the series, giving the winning team a 2-1 lead with two Tests remaining at Old Trafford, Manchester, and The Oval, London.
At the close of Day 4, KL Rahul remained unbeaten at 33*. Key players such as Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar are yet to bat, and the early loss of four wickets has placed India under considerable strain.
However, India still has a strong batting lineup, with Pant in good form after scoring 74 runs off 112 balls in the first innings.
Ravindra Jadeja also contributed significantly in the first innings with a score of 72 runs off 131 balls.
Additionally, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are capable of making valuable contributions with the bat.
On the English side, Brydon Carse has been impressive, taking two vital wickets of Karun Nair (14) and captain Shubman Gill (6) in the final moments of Day 4.