India lead by 96 after a day of drama as Brook falls for 99 and Stokes removes Sudharsan late on

Headingley once again delivered its trademark drama as England and India ended day three of the opening Test in a finely balanced scrap, punctuated by a near-miss century from Harry Brook and a late breakthrough by Ben Stokes.

With rain cutting short the final session by half an hour, India closed on 90 for two in their second innings, holding a 96-run lead. KL Rahul stood firm on 47 not out, playing with fluency and confidence on a quick, sloping outfield. But England’s spirits remained high, bolstered by the late dismissal of Sai Sudharsan for 30, who was undone by a searing inswinger from Stokes and caught at mid-wicket.

Earlier in the day, Brook fell just one short of what would have been a ninth Test century. He had come to the crease bristling with intent, launching 11 fours and two sixes in an electric innings that saw him dominate the second new ball. But the Yorkshireman was left devastated, hooking Prasidh Krishna to long leg where the catch was safely held. It marked the first time a homegrown England batter had been dismissed for 99 at Headingley—Brook joining the unwanted club as the 14th Englishman to fall one short.

The 25-year-old’s innings had already ridden its luck. On 46, Rishabh Pant missed a thin edge behind the stumps off Ravindra Jadeja. At 82, Jaiswal grassed a regulation chance at slip, denying Jasprit Bumrah a deserved wicket. And Brook, who had been reprieved late on day two when Bumrah overstepped, made full use of his fortune until his eventual dismissal left him ruefully throwing his head back in frustration.

India’s frustration had begun to mount earlier. England resumed the day with Ollie Pope at the crease, but he added just a handful to his overnight score before edging behind on 106. Stokes came and went for 20, and Jamie Smith’s flamboyant 40 ended with a boundary-line relay catch just before the second new ball.

Enter Chris Woakes. Calm and resolute, the all-rounder stitched crucial partnerships with Brook (49) and Carse (55), frustrating Indian efforts to build a first-innings lead. Woakes brought up 2,000 Test runs in style with back-to-back sixes off Krishna—one hook, one uppercut—and became the fourth fastest English player to combine 150+ wickets with the batting milestone. Still, his bowling form will concern England, with his tally of 181 wickets unchanged in this match so far.

Eventually, Bumrah returned to clean up the tail. He bowled Woakes with a classic nip-backer and then repeated the trick with Josh Tongue. The Indian pace spearhead finished with five for 83, his 14th Test five-wicket haul. In contrast, India’s other bowlers laboured: 5 for 356 combined, while Shardul Thakur bowled only six overs out of 100.

India will now look to push their lead towards 250 on a pitch beginning to show signs of uneven bounce and extra grip. Jadeja and England debutant Shoaib Bashir both found purchase late on, suggesting the surface could deteriorate further.

Still, Headingley’s history of late twists and come-from-behind victories makes predictions perilous. England, who trailed by just six on first innings after being dismissed for 465 in reply to India’s 471, will believe they’re still very much in this.

With Rahul set and Stokes sniffing opportunity, day four promises more drama—and possibly, another Headingley classic.