Picture Credit: Twitter
When Rishabh Pant fell inside the first hour of Day 5, the Test match looked to be slipping out of India's grasp. Even the eighth wicket fell early as millions of Indians sensed another match slipping away. However, the Virat Kohli-led team found two unlikely heroes as Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah steered them to safety not the with the bowl in hand but with their batting talent.
The duo added 89 runs for the ninth wicket to rescue their team out of trouble. England's tactics against the Indian tailenders could be questioned where they removed the catching fielders and put men on the boundary, giving away easy 1s and 2s in the process. Bumrah and Shami stitched a match-saving partnership in the first session to help India swell their lead above 250 on Day 5.
Having said that the two also batted extremely well, with both of them registering their individual best score. Shami reached his second Test match fifty and was unbeaten on 56 while Bumrah was not out on 34. What added to the drama of a riveting day of Test cricket was the emotions and passion of the cricketers involved.
While Bumrah was banging in short against James Anderson earlier in the match, the hosts thought it best to return the favour back to the Indian bowlers when they came out to bat. Bumrah even got hit on the helmet twice, once by Anderson but continued to bat unperturbed.
The Indian cricket team stood in ovation to welcome Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami after the duo came back unbeaten from a brilliant show after Day 5's first session at Lord's. Eventually, India declared their innings at 298-8, setting a target of 272 for England.
