Rain ended play early on Day 3 of the Headingley Test between India and England. India reached 90/2 in 23.5 overs in their second innings, holding a 96-run lead. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 47, while captain Shubman Gill was not out on 6.

Earlier, Sai Sudharsan played calmly for his 30 before Ben Stokes dismissed him. Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early again, this time to Brydon Carse. Despite the rain interruption, the match remains wide open with all three results possible.

India Slightly Ahead, But It’s Anyone’s Game

The contest remains tight. Data analysts CricViz gave India a 48% chance of winning, England 37%, and a draw 15%. These numbers reflect how evenly matched the sides are. India could win, but they could also lose if key moments go against them.

Batting Collapse Costs India Momentum

India’s poor session around lunch on Day 2 may prove more damaging than team selection. They collapsed from 430/3 to 471 all out. On a pitch where three top-order batters had already made centuries, the collapse looked careless. That lost momentum could come back to haunt them.

Fielding Mistakes Let England Off the Hook

India also struggled in the field. Early in England’s innings, Jasprit Bumrah created pressure. But Indian fielders let England off with several errors.

Ravindra Jadeja dropped Ben Duckett at backward point when he was on 15. That mistake gave England an early lifeline. Soon after, more fumbles allowed England to rotate strike and relieve pressure.

Later, Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped Ollie Pope on 60 off Bumrah. Pope went on to score a century before stumps.

Another major blow came when Bumrah had Harry Brook caught for 0, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball. Brook went on to score a crucial 99 runs, nearly bringing England level with India’s total.

Mistakes Continued on Day 3

The fielding woes didn’t end there. On Day 3, Rishabh Pant dropped Brook again—this time on 46—just before lunch, off Jadeja’s bowling.

Then, Jaiswal dropped Brook once more, this time on 82 off Bumrah. This was the second drop from Jaiswal in the match. Brook, who top-scored for England, benefited the most from India’s sloppy fielding. Thankfully for Jaiswal, his first-innings century gives him some breathing room.

India Still Have the Upper Hand

Despite the missed chances, India still hold a slight edge. If they win, these errors will likely be forgotten. If they lose, they may regret not capitalising on key moments.

Still, India have shown strong performances with both bat and ball. With a few small fixes, they can tighten their grip in the series. Based on three days of action in Leeds, fans can expect a thrilling series ahead.

Brief Scorecard