Lord's Test: Joe Root shines as England trade Bazball's riffs for restraint on Day 1

Sensible? Scared? Boring? Call it what you will, but England walked out at Lord's on Day 1 of the third Test against India with a markedly calculated batting approach. Uncharacteristically cautious and deliberate, they shelved the swagger of Bazball in favour of a more sober, traditional template. By stumps, they had reached 251 for 4 in 83 overs on a surface that offered considerably more assistance to the bowlers than the featherbeds in Leeds and Birmingham. 

Joe Root, the torchbearer of England's classical Test batting, appeared right at home amidst the restraint, finishing just one run shy of what would be his 37th Test century. The former captain was in his element, restoring calm to a batting unit that has, in recent times, been anything but.

Just two months ago, this very England side had rattled up nearly 500 runs in a single day.

But on Thursday, they chose instead to tip their hats to the setting - the hallowed turf of Lord's - and batted like it was 2003, not 2025. The trailblazers of Bazball dialled it down to a composed, almost conservative display, scoring at 3.02 runs per over.

From the start, England decided to go against their character. After winning the toss, England opted to bat only for the second time in Bazball era at home.

England managed just 75 runs in



the first session, followed by a scoring rate of 2.98 runs per over in the second — their second-lowest in a session at home during the Bazball era. Yet, the numbers hardly mattered in the end, as England showed due respect to the conditions and the quality of India’s bowling attack.

It's fair to say the Indians were caught off guard. Shubman Gill and his men might have expected a Bazball blitz, especially after Ben Stokes' pre-match promise of a strong response to the drubbing in Birmingham. India were braced for England's rockstars to crank up the heavy metal. Instead, what they got was a jazz ensemble - a cool, mellow performance led by Root and Stokes, prioritising rhythm and restraint over riffs and chaos.

In the second session, Gill couldn't help but let fly with a sharp sledge, caught on the stump mic:

"No more entertaining cricket, lads. Welcome back to boring Test cricket, boys."

A few overs earlier, Mohammed Siraj had cheekily goaded Root to bring back the Bazball tempo, challenging him to abandon his blockathon. But England, determined not to self-destruct, stuck to their guns.

By the close of play, they looked the more content of the two sides. They hadn't given India the chaos they craved, and in doing so, had quietly racked up 250 runs with six wickets still intact.