IND vs ENG 3rd Test: Jadeja teases Root on 99 with fake fumble — Watch

Joe Root may have finished the day stranded on 99 not out, but it wasn’t without a bit of drama — and a smile — in the final moments at Lord’s.

In the 83rd over of the day, with just a few balls left before stumps, Root was batting on 98. He guided a ball from Akash Deep towards deep backward point where Ravindra Jadeja was fielding.

Sensing the possibility of a second run — and perhaps his hundred — Root waited. But Jadeja, ever the mischief-maker, pretended to fumble, dropping the ball on purpose as if inviting Root to take him on.

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Root laughed, resisted the temptation, and settled for a single. Jadeja flashed a grin. Root remained unbeaten on 99. The crowd chuckled, and it was a moment of classic light-heartedness amid a hard day’s cricket. England had opted to bat first in the third Test of the series and reached 251 for four by stumps.

Root was at the heart of it all, crafting a gritty knock full of patience and class. His 191-ball stay at the crease showed a different side to England’s usually fast-paced ‘Bazball’ approach.

The day saw India maintain tight lines, with Jadeja and Bumrah striking in the evening to remove Ollie Pope and Harry Brook ,while Nitish Reddy’s double strike before lunch provided India an early spark. At Lord’s, cricket and crowd charm continue to thrive — and so does the art of teasing, at least if you’re Jadeja.