Bumrah and Archer star in England-India test after Root’s latest century

By Canadian Press on July 11, 2025.

LONDON (AP) — The star bowlers for India and England took center stage at Lord’s on Friday, with Jasprit Bumrah picking up his latest five-wicket haul and Jofra Archer taking a wicket with the third ball of his long-awaited test return.

England started Day 2 of the third test on 251-4, with Joe Root (104) reaching his 37th century with a four off the first ball, and then he became one of four batters to succumb to Bumrah’s brilliant seam bowling that returned figures of 5-74 on his return to the India team.

England was all out for 387, helped by half-centuries by Jamie Smith (51) and Brydon Carse (56).

Archer was making his first test appearance in 4 1/2 years because of a succession of injuries and he made an immediate impact, enticing an edge from Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) in his first over and England’s second of India’s reply.

India reached tea on 44-1, with Lokesh Rahul (13) and Karun Nair (18) having seen off the initial five-over burst of Archer. Bowling at speeds up to 93 mph (150 kph), Archer was making things happen and had 1-16.

India trailed by 343 runs, with the five-match series poised at 1-1.

Bumrah’s burst ends Root’s ton

Resuming on 99, Root sent a streaky cut shot for four off Bumrah from the first ball of the day to notch an eighth hundred at Lord’s — his favorite venue — and his 11th against India.

Root has struck centuries in each of his last three test innings at the home of cricket, a streak that takes in a match last year against Sri Lanka. He is now outright fifth on the all-time list of most test centuries, breaking a tie with Steve Smith and Rahul Dravid, and moved 14 behind India great Sachin Tendulkar.

Bumrah soon got his revenge. He nipped one back off the seam to remove the off-stump of England captain Ben Stokes (44), took out Root when the England star sent an inside-edge onto his own stumps, and then found the edge of Chris Woakes’ (0) first ball — though it needed a review to give it out after the on-field umpire missed it.

Carse survived the hat-trick ball but Bumrah’s burst had sent England sliding to 271-7 inside a half-hour of the morning session.

Carse and Smith, dropped on 5 by Rahul in the slips, counterattacked with an 84-run partnership to get England over 350 before Mohammed Siraj removed Smith and Carse, either side of Bumrah clean-bowling Archer (4).

Having also dismissed Harry Brook through the gate on Thursday, Bumrah — rested for the second test won by India — bowled four batters in England’s innings.

Stokes fit but Pant missing

Stokes struggled with a right groin problem while batting on Thursday, and was affected so badly that he refused a second single off the final ball of the day that would have given Root his century.

The allrounder was seen bowling before play on Friday and came out with Root for the start of play. He didn’t last long with the bat, though, and hasn’t bowled yet.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant didn’t take the field for Day 2, however, as he recovered from being hit on the index finger on his left hand during Thursday. Dhruv Jurel took the gloves instead.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press