Archer strikes early against India on England return

LONDON :England fast bowler Jofra Archer struck with his third ball in his first test match for four years as India reached 44-1 at tea on day two in reply to the hosts' 387 at Lord's on Friday.

Archer had Yashasvi Jaiswal caught at second slip by Harry Brook with a delivery timed at 90 miles per hour but he failed to make another breakthrough as KL Rahul and Karun Nair defended staunchly to keep the third test on a knife edge.

Rahul was unbeaten on 13 at the interval with Nair 18 not out on another gripping day of old-style attritional test cricket played in warm sunshine on a slow pitch.

Earlier, India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took three quick wickets in a devastating spell to reduce England to 271-7.

Bumrah bowled Ben Stokes for 44 and Joe Root for 104 before dismissing Chris Woakes first ball.

Root, 99 not out overnight, had completed his century off the first ball of the day, flashing hard at Bumrah and leaping in the air as it flew past gully to the third man boundary.

The right-hander raised his bat as he received a standing ovation from the crowd, his 37th test hundred another masterful display from England's highest test run scorer of all time.

STOKES SCARE

Stokes had a scare when he attempted a quick single and was well short of the crease when Jaiswal's throw narrowly missed the stumps.

His reprieve did not last long, however, as Bumrah delivered another searing delivery that crashed into the top of the England captain's off stump.

Bumrah struck again in his next over when he dismissed Root with another peach of a ball that jagged back to remove his middle stump.

Woakes nicked a catch to stand-in wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel to put Bumrah on a hat-trick, but Brydon Carse played a solid defensive stroke to deny him.

Jamie