Well then, an absorbing opening day of this third Test has flown by. It was laden with patience, grind, and of course, hard work. The surface offered subtle challenges, turn for Jadeja and the occasional uneven bounce for the seamers, keeping both bat and ball in constant contest. It was a hard-fought day that rewarded discipline and careful application over flair. With the second new ball only 2.5 overs old, the first hour of the second day promises a stern examination for Joe Root and Ben Stokes as they look to push England towards a commanding total. The Indian bowlers will be keen to make early inroads, capitalising on the freshness of the cherry to turn the tide. Day 2 begins on Friday, 11th July, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). Till then, take care, cheers!

For a while, India held the squeeze, pairing spin and seam to keep the runs on a leash. But Joe Root was in his bubble of zen, unflustered by bounce or movement. He soaked up everything India threw at him, rarely looking hurried. Ben Stokes, at the other end, played himself in, struggling with a possible groin injury, but together they stitched another handy partnership that helped England stabilise as the shadows lengthened, and eventually coasted England safely to Stumps with an unbeaten 79-run stand.

The partnership had taken a good shape on a slow deck with the ball getting softer and softer, and conditions increasingly facilitative to batting. Come the third and final session, it just took the first ball for Jadeja to break that 109-run stand, and it was followed up nicely by Bumrah's ripper as he removed Brook cheaply, with England slipping from 153/2 to 172/4.

The second session was an absolute slow-burn, and lifeless, with the game progressing at a snail's pace. Not much happened, but the Indians were pretty disciplined with their lines and lengths. Rishabh Pant walked off the field after taking a blow on his left index finger, with Jurel coming in as the substitute keeper. Pope and Root dug in a resilient stand with the former notching up yet another fifty, with Root also crossing 3000 Test runs against India itself. Overall, with not much action, only 70 runs came in the afternoon session in 24 overs, but the Indians were deprived of wickets. Hence, uncharacteristically, the session went England's way.

Ben Stokes yet again won the toss and this time, elected to bat on a sunny, bright day in London. However, India wrested control after a cautious first hour from England, with Nitish Kumar Reddy striking twice post drinks to peg the visitors back at 44/2. Again, the English opening pair failed to bat long enough. The slower pitch and residual moisture aided movement, especially from the Nursery End, where Bumrah and Reddy thrived. False shots, uneven bounce, and fading lacquer on the Dukes ball added to England’s discomfort, before Root and Pope steadied things to close a gripping session which ended as a draw.

SESSION SUMMARY - 34 Overs, 98 Runs and 2 Wickets. Quite an anti-Bazball day, as well and truly mentioned by Nasser Hussain on-air. Not a single session saw runs in triple digits, which proves how sedate it went through and through. Joe Root finishes tantalisingly close to a century, stranded on an unbeaten 99, a score that leaves any batter with a bittersweet taste, proud of the effort, yet restless knowing the job’s not quite done. Alongside him, a visibly hobbling Ben Stokes limped through the Long Room, where members stood to salute the pair’s grit and resilience, with England bagging the evening session as well.

With just about a couple of more minutes left, this could well be the last over of the day. Akash Deep (16-2-72-0) to bowl.

Suddenly, a swarm of flying bugs has arrived, causing disruption in the concentration of the players, and hence, another halt in play. Ben Stokes is not quite pleased with it as he is bothered by those around him. But eventually, the umpires signal for the play to continue. Quite a bizarre stoppage this, with just about 5 minutes remaning in the day's play.