England opener Zak Crawley infuriated India with time-wasting tactics as the third Rothesay Test built towards an intriguing climax at Lord’s.
The scores were tied at 387 each after England’s bowlers finally showed their teeth late on day three, leaving enough time for two nerve-racking overs deep in the evening session.
But Crawley ensured there would only be one, pulling out of his stance on three occasions as Jasprit Bumrah roared in from the Nursery End. He appeared to be citing distractions behind the arm though it was far from clear what had caught his eye.
India were clearly annoyed by the delays and tempers soured even further as Crawley played a stout defensive, then shook his hand and waved for the physio. He dashed out for a cursory glance at the hand, then retreated as the clock ticked past 6.30pm, meaning no second over for the batters to face.
Boos rang out from the India fans and captain Shubman Gill made his displeasure clear. Crawley played and missed at the final ball from Bumrah before turning on his heels and can expect plenty of spicy words when he resumes on day four, with England two for nought.
Ben Stokes had earlier roused England’s spirits with two decisive interventions, pulling off the opportunistic run-out of Rishabh Pant in the last over before lunch and removing Nitish Kumar Reddy with a vicious lifter in the evening.
On both occasions the England captain ended important partnerships, worth 141 and 72 respectively, but the English attack looked too blunt for too long on a sluggish surface.
India favoured old-fashioned accumulation, KL Rahul’s even 100 backed by half-centuries from Pant (74) and Ravindra Jadeja (72).
England’s bowling options were reduced by the loss of Shoaib Bashir to an injured little finger in the afternoon session.
There was an encouragingly fiery burst from Jofra Archer midway through the day, recalling his 2019 heyday with a spell of express pace that peaked at 94mph.
India resumed on 145 for three and came within three balls of a wicketless first session, Rahul sliding effortlessly back into the groove that brought his 53 runs the previous evening and Pant continuing his strong form.
Archer and Chris Woakes built up some early pressure as 31 successive deliveries passed without a run off the bat but that eased when Brydon Carse shipped 22 off his first two overs.
Pant failed to connect with his trademark rollover ramp but still found a steady supply of boundaries, even after being rapped on the glove by Stokes. That aggravated his existing finger injury but did not stop him hooking the England skipper for six to reach his half-century.
He cleared the ropes again when Bashir belatedly came on 20 minutes before lunch, swatting his first delivery cleanly over long-on. The break was a matter of seconds away when Stokes swooped at short cover, hurling down the stumps at the bowler’s end and making India pay for an unwise single.
They may not have taken it had Rahul not been on 98, with an eagerness to get him back on strike costing them dearly. He made it to three figures after the restart but nicked Bashir to slip next ball.
Confused calling between Jadeja and Reddy gave England ample opportunity to get another run-out but Ollie Pope twice reprieved Reddy with wayward attempts and both Carse and Ben Duckett also missed the target.
Jadeja offered a tough chance when he drilled Bashir hard and straight and the spinner winced in pain as the ball pinged off the little finger of his left hand. Joe Root completed the over and Bashir spent the rest of the day in the pavilion.
England wasted the new ball and at 326 for five, India had set themselves up to pursue a handy lead but lost their last five for 61.
Stokes once again got things moving in seven hostile overs either side of tea. He had already clattered Reddy on the helmet when he forcibly removed him, rapping the glove with a ball that shot up off a previously sleepy pitch.
Woakes strangled Jadeja down leg and had Bumrah caught behind for a duck to claim improved figures of three for 84. Harry Brook’s safe hands did the rest, catching Akash Deep off Carse and settling under a skier for his fourth catch of the innings when Washington Sundar top-edged Archer.
