The China Mail - Archer strikes as England eye stunning third Test win over India

Fast bowler Archer, in his first Test after more than four years of injury-induced exile, removed dangerman Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar as India slumped to 82-7.

Ravindra Jadeja (17 not out) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (13) checked England's progress.

But when Reddy was caught behind off veteran paceman Chris Woakes on the stroke of lunch, India were 112-8 and still needing a further 81 runs to reach a victory target of 193 that would give them a 2-1 lead in this five-match series.

Archer had lunch figures of 3-41 in 10 overs after also dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal late Sunday.

England captain Ben Stokes, whose career has been been blighted by knee trouble, bowled himself for a lengthy spell of 15.2 overs Monday that yielded the key wicket of opener KL Rahul.

India resumed on 58-4 after lively medium-pacer Stokes had bowled nightwatchman Akash Deep with what became the last ball of Sunday's play.

But from 71-4, the match swung England's way as India lost three wickets for 11 runs in collapsing to 82-7.

Pant, two balls after charging down the pitch to drive Archer for four in typically aggressive fashion, was bowled for nine by the express quick with a superb full-length delivery that clipped the top of off stump.

India were looking to Rahul to anchor their chase following the opener's first-innings hundred.

But Rahul had added just six runs to his overnight 33 when he was lbw on review to Stokes after getting too far across his stumps.

And 81-6 became 82-7 when Archer held a sharp one-handed caught and bowled chance off a checked drive from Sundar to dismiss the all-rounder for a duck -- a wicket greeted with raucous cheers by a large last-day crowd at Lord's.

The eight-wicket pair scored steadily before there was another flashpoint in an already heated match when Jadeja collided with bowler Brydon Carse while running between the wickets.

Reddy then cover-drove Stokes in stylish fashion for India's first four in 13 overs before he fell to Woakes.

S.Wilson--ThChM