“If India can bowl out England for under 300….”: Kumble following first session of 3rd Test at Lord’s

London [UK], July 10 (ANI): Following a balanced first session of third Test against England at Lord’s, former Indian cricket Anil Kumble said that it would be a “job well done" if India can bundle out Three Lions within under 300 runs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy pocketing wickets of the opening duo of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in his first over after drinks was the massive moment in the first session, before Joe Root and Ollie Pope took over to make sure England walked into Lunch without any further losses.

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ at JioHotstar, JioStar expert Kumble spoke that Nitish’s surprise impact was due to his “length and high-arm action" and cautioned India that a returning Jofra Archer could prove to be dangerous on such a surface.

“Nitish showed shades of that (of sign of things that could come with Archer bowling). The slope here helps take the ball away from the left-hander, and Ben Duckett unfortunately fell victim to that twice. As for the Crawley dismissal — that was a beauty. He got the length and line absolutely right, and it just moved enough off the pitch to find the edge. This is the kind of pitch where you cannot just blast teams out; you need patience. If India can bowl England out for under 300, they will consider it a job well done."

Kumble said that the both teams would be happy with how the session ended, but India missed a chance to pick up one more wicket after two quick ones.

“What was interesting was that the breakthrough did not come from (Jasprit) Bumrah, Akash Deep or (Mohammed) Siraj — it was Nitish Kumar Reddy who stepped up and delivered not just one, but two crucial wickets. Going forward, slip fielding will be key. The bounce and pace have not been consistent — the ball is not always carrying through cleanly to the keeper — so India will need to be sharp in the cordon," he concluded.

At the end of the first session, England was 83/2, with Joe Root (24*) and Ollie Pope (12*) unbeaten at the crease, having formed a 39-run partnership.

After England won the toss and opted to bat first, the openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were watchful against the fiery pace of Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, who beat their bat several times, on a pitch which had a little grass, but not a lot of carry initially.

Having scored 15 runs in the first seven overs, Zak Crawley broke the shackles in the eighth over by Akash, striking him for three boundaries, one through the covers, one edged over the slip cordon, and the last one being the best of the lot.

At the end of 13 overs, England was 35/0, with Duckett (19*) and Crawley (18*) unbeaten., having gone through the first hour safely despite some threatening bowling.

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was introduced to the attack immediately after drinks break. The move paid off handsomely as he managed to make Duckett and Crawley give away their wickets, caught by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Duckett went back for a 40-ball 23 (three fours) while Crawley (18 in 43 balls with four boundaries). England was suddenly in soup, at 44/2.

Duckett got dismissed while attempting a pull, while the delivery brushed past Crawley’s gloves into Pant’s hands.

Joe Root joined Ollie Pope, and with two boundaries in Mohammed Siraj’s 18th over, Root brought up England’s 50-run mark in 16.4 overs. With a flick through mid-wicket and a drive through covers, Root asserted his intent to score big and make amends for the last two disappointing matches.

Root and Pope made sure that England ended the session without any further damage.

Brief Scores: England: 83/2 (Joe Root 24, Ben Duckett 23, Nitish Kumar Reddy 2/15) vs India. (ANI)

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