India's bowling performance in the third ODI at Lord's lacked penetration and control. The attack struggled significantly after spearhead Jasprit Bumrah sat out due to a sudden knee injury. Opening bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav failed to find early movement or extract bounce. Arshdeep conceded 29 runs in his first four overs, while Yadav gave away 28 runs without success. They delivered loose balls too frequently, which allowed England openers Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell to race past a fifty-run opening partnership within the powerplay.
Concurrently, X erupted with intense criticism over this tactical collapse. Many cricket analysts on the platform lamented the side's over-reliance on Bumrah. Disappointed posts highlighted how toothless the attack looked, with trending hashtags questioning Head Coach Gautam Gambhir's management strategies. Netizens heavily scrutinised the economy rates, which quickly jumped past seven runs per over during the initial fielding restriction phase. Prasidh Krishna provided a brief period of control when he entered the attack.
Also Read | Why is Jasprit Bumrah not playing in 3rd ODI against England at Lord's?
He bowled back-to-back maiden overs and checked the rapid scoring rate, finishing his opening five-over spell with figures of 21 runs with 2 maiden overs . However, the supporting bowlers could not maintain this built-up pressure. The flat pitch offered very little assistance, and the English batsmen rotated the strike comfortably. The collective discipline crumbled under aggressive counter-attacks, turning the crucial powerplay overs into a defensive struggle as the unit failed to create genuine wicket-taking opportunities.
Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett hand England commanding start in series decider
Ben Matthew Duckett delivered a composed and calculated performance as an opener for England in today's deciding third ODI against India at Lord's. Capitalising on the absence of India's injured frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Duckett anchored the early innings with extreme maturity.He scored a steady 30 runs off 40 deliveries, establishing a formidable, wicketless opening partnership alongside the explosive Jacob Bethell.
During his stay at the crease, the dynamic left-handed batsman struck 5 crisp boundaries while maintaining a composed strike rate of 75.00. His deliberate approach successfully blunted the opening spell of Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, absorbing early pressure and providing England a solid foundation in this high-stakes series decider.
Jacob Graham Bethell has played with remarkable aggression as an opener for England in today's deciding third ODI against India at Lord's. Capitalising beautifully on the absence of India's injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, the dynamic young all-rounder has dismantled the opposition powerplay attack with incredible confidence.Bethell has moved steadily to an unbeaten 48 runs off 48 deliveries*, closing in on a well-deserved half-century.
Thus far, the sensational left-handed batsman has fearlessly attacked India's frontline bowlers, hammering 7 crisp boundaries and 1 towering six. By maintaining a blistering active strike rate of 102.13, he has anchored a spectacular, wicketless opening stand with Ben Duckett, leaving India's depth bowling line-up thoroughly deflated. Together both Bethell and Duckett have established a 96 runs partnership against India.
