India and England are playing an enthralling 3rd Test at Lord’s, where the visitors need 135 runs with six wickets in hand on Day 5. Chasing a modest target of 193 for a vital 2-1 edge in the five-match (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy) series, India closed out Day 4 on 58 after losing four crucial wickets on Monday.
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara believes England hold the edge after picking big quick wickets and suggested the Shubman Gill-led India were a bit “negative” as they went about the chase.
“I think England will be more confident than India at the moment. The way I saw India bat, there were a few jitters. They seemed a bit negative,” said batting great Sangakkara to Sky Sports.
“Washington Sundar told us they wanted to be one wicket down, but I think they should have given themselves a target of runs,” he added.
India got off to a horrendous start in the fourth innings, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal falling prey to a bouncer from Jofra Archer on duck. Then followed a counter-attack by opener KL Rahul and No. 3 Karun Nair before the latter’s lack of concentration saw him get trapped in front after playing a no-shot to a menacing in-swinger of Brydon Carse.
Shubman Gill looked tentative from the very start and was found plumb in front off Carse. The nightwatchman Akash Deep did well to prevent Rahul from getting strikes, but was cleaned up by Ben Stokes as the last dismissal of the day.
Pant-Rahul key
Clutch wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is the next batter to come for the visitors and Sangakkara believes the duo of Rahul and Pant can bail out the guests.
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“If Rahul and Pant can stretch this partnership to beyond 100 for the team, then India are back in the driving seat. Pant will play his shots. You can’t go into your shell. If India do, England will be further in front. India must bat smart. Rahul can anchor but the rest have to score runs,” he said.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar said India will win the Test. “We would have loved to have about nine wickets but it is what it is and we’ll definitely win the game tomorrow,” he said to BBC Sports.
“We just need to see what is required in that particular situation and do as it is. There is not much in the wicket when you are looking solid and looking to play to the merit of the ball, so we’ll try and stay positive. We’ve got a long batting line-up as well, so it’s going to help us in every way,” added Sundar.
