Washington Sundar delivered a stellar performance on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord's, spinning a web around England's batting lineup and giving India a shot at victory. Sundar's impressive four-wicket haul, achieved with an astonishing economy rate, put India in a promising position, but a subsequent batting collapse meant India ended the day in trouble, at 58 for 4, chasing 193.
Sundar's bowling figures of 4 for 22 in 12.1 overs are the best by an Indian spinner at Lord's this century. What made this performance even more remarkable was that all four of his wickets were clean bowled dismissals. He removed key English batsmen, including Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Jamie Smith, who form the backbone of England's middle order. He also bowled Shoaib Bashir to end England's innings.
Sundar's wickets were not just a display of skill but also a tactical masterclass. He set up Root's dismissal by exploiting his tendency to sweep, exposing his leg stump. Smith, who had been in excellent form, was undone by a quicker delivery that stayed low, while Stokes fell attempting a slog sweep.
With his four wickets all bowled, Sundar joined Jasprit Bumrah as the Indian bowler with the joint-most bowled dismissals in an innings in England in Tests. He also set a record for the most bowled dismissals in a Lord's Test. As a team, India enforced 12 bowled dismissals in the Test, the most by any team in England since 1887 and a record for India in a Test match. Seven of those dismissals occurred in England's second innings, also a record.
Despite Sundar's heroics with the ball, India's top order crumbled under pressure, slumping to 58 for 4. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, and Akash Deep all fell cheaply, leaving KL Rahul to hold the innings together.
Sundar remains optimistic about India's chances. He expressed confidence in the team's batting depth and ability to chase down the remaining runs on the final day. He said that winning the Test at Lord's would be amazing. Sundar also acknowledged the pressure created by the England bowlers and the movement they extracted from the pitch.
