June 21, 2025 – Lord’s, London — England ended Day 2 of the first Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at 209/3, responding to India’s formidable first innings total of 471. After being on the back foot for most of Day 1 and the early part of Day 2, the hosts mounted a determined fightback, closing the day with renewed confidence.
The day started brightly for India, with Ben Stokes’ side under early pressure. Jasprit Bumrah, once again the standout performer for India, struck in the first over to remove Zak Crawley and later picked up all three wickets to fall. His fiery spell kept the tourists in the game, but the lack of support from the other end let England off the hook.
Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope staged a strong counterattack, building a crucial 109-run stand. Duckett survived multiple chances — dropped on 11, again on 15, and narrowly avoided a run-out — all within the first few overs of England’s innings. Despite India’s sloppy fielding, Pope took charge and later formed another key partnership with Joe Root, who was dismissed late in the day.
The pitch continued to assist the batters, and England capitalized, especially during the second session, where they scored freely at nearly 5 runs an over. Mohammed Siraj found some rhythm in the third session, tightening things up momentarily, but Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur were far from threatening, allowing England to build steadily.
For India, missed opportunities in the field proved costly. Five clear chances were squandered — four of them involving Duckett and Pope — as Bumrah toiled hard without much support. The bowling unit’s overreliance on him is becoming a concern. Even Bumrah himself was guilty of giving Harry Brook a no-ball reprieve in the last over of the day, compounding India’s frustration.
Despite the late wicket of Root, England can claim a moral victory on Day 2. With a deficit of 262 still to overcome, the match remains finely poised. However, if India cannot tighten their bowling and improve fielding standards, England could very well bat themselves into a strong position on Day 3.
This enthralling Test between England and India has already delivered intense drama, and more fireworks are expected as the match heads toward a potentially explosive middle phase.