Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar firmly believes that India will clinch victory in the third Test at Lord’s as the closely fought match heads into a dramatic final day. With only a small chance of a draw, both teams are bracing for a nail-biting finish.
India ended the fourth day at 58 for 4, chasing a target of 193 runs. Now, they need just 135 runs more, while England hopes to take six more wickets to take the lead in the series again.
Speaking confidently to Sky Sports, Sundar said, “Definitely India winning tomorrow.”
He added, “I mean, we want so many things the way we expect it to be, but yes, we would take it any day. I mean, we’d really come out positive tomorrow. We’ve got some solid batsmen in the dressing room. And yeah, it’s exciting in every way. You know, winning a test in Lord’s is going to be amazing. So I think we’re sitting pretty.”
Sundar played a key role in turning the game in India’s favor. Bowling alongside experienced spinner Ravindra Jadeja, the 25-year-old helped break England’s strong position by removing key batters like Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Shoaib Bashir.
Using the rough patches on the pitch to his advantage, Sundar made the ball behave unpredictably. Some deliveries spun sharply while others stayed straight, causing confusion for England’s batters.
“The way the fast bowlers came out today and kept the pressure on throughout the day was amazing,” Sundar said. He also explained the team’s strategy for the spinners, saying, “The plans for me and Ravindra Jadeja [the spinners] was not to give away too many runs but the way things went for us was very good. We need to do whatever the team demands. It is going to be exciting. We have all day, but there needs to be the perfect plan.”
In the second session, England appeared in control with Stokes and Root holding the crease without losing a wicket. But Sundar changed the game’s momentum by bowling Root with a delivery that sneaked through and hit the leg stump. Root had scored 40 off 96 balls at the time.
Soon after, Smith fell too, lasting only 14 deliveries under Sundar’s pressure. In the final session, Sundar continued his dominance. He dismissed Stokes as well, leaving England stunned.
With an impressive performance of 4 wickets for 22 runs in 12.1 overs, Sundar became only the fifth Indian spinner to take four or more wickets in a Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Speaking about his bowling success, Sundar said, “I mean, definitely one of the best days with the ball for me, especially outside of India. But yes, definitely had some solid plans coming into this test match and really wanted to execute them both in the first and second innings.”
He shared that his goal was always to help the team in different situations. “Mostly wanted to contribute to the team quite differently in different passages of play. But yes, the way it turned out to be for me as well as the team, the whole day today is really good and very heartening for me,” he added.
