The Lord’s Test is headed for a tense final day as England and India prepare for a finish that could shift the course of the series. With India needing 135 more runs and six wickets in hand, and England hungry for early breakthroughs, both sides see the path ahead as wide open.
Speaking after the fourth day, England’s assistant coach Marcus Trescothick admitted it’s difficult to say which side holds the edge. What’s clear is that both teams are locked in.
“If I knew that, I could probably relax a little bit easier coming into tomorrow,” Trescothick said. “But of course, both teams are desperate to win.”
The weekend crowd at Lord’s has brought energy to the game, especially in the final hour on Sunday when the atmosphere turned electric. England picked up three late wickets, pulling momentum back after India had looked steady during the morning session.
Brydon Carse and Ben Stokes struck late to leave India reeling at 58 for 4. But India are not out of it yet. KL Rahul remains unbeaten on 33 and has support from Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar. Rahul, who made a century in the first innings, has looked comfortable and composed.
“KL’s been classical old-school style of Test cricket,” Trescothick said. “His judgment of the length is good, and he’s looked to bat for a long period of time. Hopefully we can get him out early and then start getting into the rest of the tail.”
Rahul’s form has been one of the talking points of the series. His century on Saturday added to a growing list of consistent performances this tour. His style has been simple—leave well, play late, and wear the bowlers down.
England, for their part, believe early pressure is key. Trescothick highlighted the importance of the first hour.
“It will revolve around the first hour of the day tomorrow,” he said. “How positive India can be, how dominant we can be with the ball, and how many early wickets we can get.”
From India’s camp, allrounder Washington Sundar said the team remains confident. He described his day with the ball—where he picked up four wickets—as one of his best in Test cricket. He added that India will not approach the chase with a fixed plan.
“We’ll just play to the situation,” Washington said. “We know it’s going to go really well for us. It would be amazing to win a Test at Lord’s.”
The last time India won a Test at Lord’s was in 2021—and like this one, it was clinched in the dying moments of day five. That memory still lingers. Sunday’s crowd, heavily packed with India supporters, echoed that belief, often outcheering the home fans.
England will hope the crowd lifts them once again. Joe Root, at one point in the slips, gestured for the stands to bring the noise. That moment set the tone for a charged finish.
Trescothick acknowledged the role of the crowd. “It might take a wicket to sort of get it going,” he said. “We might need Joe to wind them up again.”
Both sides know the stakes. England are pushing for a 2-1 lead in the series. India want to pull off another famous win at Lord’s. The stage is set. It’s just about how it unfolds on day five.
