Right. It was a day when the ball completely outplayed the bat, as 15 wickets fell in the day. Despite the full quota of overs not being bowled on the opening day due to rain and further interruptions on Day 2, this final Test has raced ahead at a remarkable pace. With 'Moving Day' approaching, the tempo is expected to climb even higher. Throughout the series, as has been the pattern, the momentum has rarely stayed with one side for long. Every time a team looks set to take control, the opposition hits back with greater intensity to keep the contest alive. At Stumps on Day 2, India might sense a slight edge, but with the series at stake, they'll be keen to build on it and press for a commanding finish. England, meanwhile, will eye early wickets on Day 3 to curb India’s lead. Play resumes on Saturday, August 2nd, and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). Join us then. Take care and cheers!

When India came out to bat, the sun had broken through, and the openers got off to contrasting starts. Yashasvi Jaiswal looked confident and assertive, while KL Rahul appeared tentative from the outset. It didn’t take long for Josh Tongue to find the edge and send Rahul packing. But England’s fielding soon began to unravel. Jaiswal was dropped twice, first by Brook in the second slip and later on 40 by Dawson, while Sudharsan too was handed a life on 7. Jaiswal continued to bat with positive intent, a smart approach on a pitch where any ball could pose a threat. Sudharsan, though, couldn't make the most of his reprieve, eventually perishing. India ended Day 2 with a lead of 52 runs before Stumps were called due to bad light.

However, after almost a listless morning, coming into the afternoon session, the Indians brought in some control on a pitch that was doing all sorts to keep the batters in check. Like the Indian innings, England’s batters got starts but couldn’t convert, as the bowlers kept chipping away with wickets. Krishna’s dismissal of Crawley on 64 triggered an opening, and with Root also falling cheaply, the English middle order couldn't stitch meaningful partnerships. Brook showed intent, but wickets kept tumbling around him. From 129 for 1, England slid to 215 for 7. Siraj bowled a tireless spell, claiming three key wickets, while Krishna matched his senior pro with an equally impactful burst late in the session, with both tearing apart the English middle order. Coming into the final session, with England already a batter short, Siraj and Krishna didn't take long to wrap up the tail, with Siraj claiming the big scalp of Harry Brook, and overall bagging a deserved 4-for.

England stamped their authority on the morning session, with Gus Atkinson leading the charge through a brilliant five-wicket haul. He made sure the Indian tail didn’t wag, wrapping up the innings swiftly as India added just 20 runs to their overnight total of 204. In reply, Duckett and Crawley came out with intent, racing past 100 inside 15 overs and throwing India off their rhythm. Duckett’s attacking 43 ended in a loose stroke, but the early assault had already shifted the momentum to an extent. With the pitch quickening up and inconsistency on the Indian bowlers' part, England looked well set and in command.

But what an enthralling day of cricket this has been. Both teams have gone hard at each other and have prevented each other from gaining any sort of ascendancy. The morning session was bossed by the Englishmen, but the following two sessions went blue, and so far, we have two shared sessions as well. This proves that this Test pretty much hangs in balance with no clear upper hand to any side.

The light-meter is out, and when asked by Kumar Dharmasena if he’s willing to carry on by bringing in the spinners, the English skipper, Ollie Pope, declines, prompting the umpires to call it STUMPS due to bad light. With still 15 minutes left in the extended session, the artificial light takes over the natural light and hence, it is not perfectly alright to carry on. Kind of a smart decision by Pope here as Jaiswal is a good player against spin and certainly, with no proper full-time spinner in the ranks, he doesn't want more runs to be leaked. 

Game stopped due to : Bad Light

Akash Deep is in as the night-watchman for India.

Nasser Hussain with another piece of interesting information. He points out that over the past couple of years in County matches at the Kennington Oval, day three has consistently proven to be the toughest for batting. Particularly due to those indentations created on the pitch, which make life increasingly difficult for the batters. Given how difficult batting has been in this particular Test, the third day will be really very interesting to watch.

Nasser Hussain highlighted an intriguing stat on-air, one that neither side would be particularly pleased about. In this tightly fought Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, 2025, the contest has been intense across all departments, including the fielding, where both sides have been far from flawless. India have spilled 18 catches so far, with England close behind, having dropped 17.