England's Plan for 250-Plus and the Last Day Drama at Lord's

The fourth day of the third Test at Lord's was a day marked by high drama unexpected bounce boisterous crowd reactions and a tight back-and-forth struggle between England and India. As the match see-sawed like a pendulum both teams had their moments but come the end of the day England was the team that walked away with momentum very much on their side. England batting coach Marcus Trescothick spoke after the day's play explaining how they always planned to set a target more than 250 in order to test India. But taking into account the challenging pitch conditions and the uncertain bounce they had to re-think their plans during the course of it. The ball was unevenly moving and causing stroke play to become challenging which made every run precious and introduced a great deal of uncertainty about what a safe total would be.

According to Trescothick, the team was aware it was going to be tough but still felt they had sufficient runs on the board to put pressure on the Indian team. His assurance was based on how the bowlers rose to the occasion particularly in the last overs of the day when there was a lot of energy in and around the ground. He added that the crowd was such a big factor in motivating the players with their energy and shouts creating such an electric atmosphere which caused the bowlers to dig deeper and get such vital breakthroughs. That last half an hour provided England with not only wickets but also the confidence that they were on the right path and capable of ending well on the final day.

England started the day with Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes at the crease looking to extend their lead. Stokes had scored 33 runs off 96 balls before he was bowled by Washington Sundar on a masterful delivery. Woakes and Carse then followed with Jasprit Bumrah getting into his rhythm at last and taking quick wickets. England was finally bowled out for 192 runs in 62 overs. Washington Sundar was the star with the ball as he claimed four wickets for only 22 runs. Bumrah picked up two more on top of that while Siraj took two wickets as well. Reddy and Akash took a wicket each making it a collective bowling performance by India.

India required 193 runs to win the match and gain the series advantage. The target seemed gettable on paper but the pressure and conditions had other plans. Jofra Archer was quick to strike as Yashasvi Jaiswal decided to take the pull shot a bit prematurely and got caught for a duck. KL Rahul who had made a century in the last innings came out and was solid as usual. He had Karun Nair to join him and the duo attempted to settle the innings with a confident 36-run stand.

But Brydon Carse had other things in mind as he came in raging and accurate and cut short the partnership by leg before wicket-trapping Nair. He wasn't finished yet as he also removed the important wicket of captain Shubman Gill who had a poor night with the bat managing only six runs. India soon found itself in trouble at 53 for 3 and pressure started building. KL Rahul was holding on but he was in need of support. Akash replaced him as a nightwatchman and attempted to get through the final moments. Before stumps Stokes picked up the ball and dismissed Akash with a vicious delivery to further trouble India and place England firmly on top.

KL Rahul was still not out on 33 and still seemed stable but India were in tatters at 58 for 4 by stumps. With Rishabh Pant Ravindra Jadeja Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy still to bat the game was nicely poised but losing early wickets left the Indian team in a difficult position. The pressure was now on the lower and middle order to stage a rescue act on the last day.

Talking about Rahul's performance Trescothick appreciated his old-fashioned technique and described him as a very good and astute Test player. He explained Rahul judges length well leaves the ball in good areas and understands how to construct a long innings. His century in the first innings was an indicator of his consistency and class and Trescothick conceded the fight he gave to England. But he said that if England were to get him out early on the last day they would stand a good chance of bowling through the rest of the batting order.

There was also some news on Shoaib Bashir who had suffered a niggle when bowling on the third day but was available and ready to play again. The management was hoping that he would be able to contribute with the bat if needed. With the rest of the bowlers, there was a basic plan. Begin strongly in the first hour take early wickets and build pressure. Trescothick expressed that the game could go either way during the initial hour based on the way India went about their pursuit and how well England's bowlers bowled.

He conceded that the last session of day four was enchanting for the team. The momentum that was generated by the energy of the crowd and the couple of crucial wickets made a big difference. That sheer support boosted the players and developed an electric atmosphere which England lives for. The goal now was to capitalise on that momentum and ensure the victory. It was about not spending too much time brooding over what had transpired but concentrating on implementing the plan during the morning session of day five.

In a drama-filled game with unprecented bounce verbal sparring and changes in momentum England entered the final day with optimism and faith while India was left scrambling to regroup and strategize a comeback. While KL Rahul remained at the crease and important players in waiting it wasn't over yet. But with four wickets already lost and an aggressive English bowling line-up it seemed the hosts had the upper hand. This depends solely on how the initial few overs go and if India can keep their cool or England will pull off a historic victory at Lord's.