It has been a tough old series for England’s bowlers. As well as wrestling with docile pitches and doughy Dukes balls in a lengthy heatwave, they have come up against an India batting lineup that is rich with talent and seriously gutsy with it. The upshot has been perspiration outstripping inspiration by some margin.

Not that those two elements are mutually exclusive and in Ben Stokes, England have a cricketer who thrives on delivering both. On the third day of this pivotal third Test, as India were bowled out for 387, the scores dead level on first innings, and the hosts were thankful for their captain’s ability to conjure something from nothing. At stumps, closing on two for no loss, his side were just about back in the box seat because of it.

The first was a viral-worthy run out when a wicketless morning was within touching distance, India having added 103 runs to their overnight 145 for three. Possibly driven to get KL Rahul on strike and thus his century before the break, Rishabh Pant dead-batted an intended single and briefly hesitated after setting off, only for Stokes to swoop in from cover and hit the bullseye in one fluid motion.

What made it all the more remarkable was the fact that Stokes was fresh – or rather anything but fresh – from a five-over burst of bouncers in 30C heat, hitting 90mph on the speed gun through sheer heft. Given the struggle for wickets out there, his mind doubtless whirring from this, it was a superb mix of awareness and athleticism.

The second came after tea with the second new ball when, against the run of play, Stokes broke a troubling sixth-wicket stand of 72 runs between Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy when he extracted some extra lift from the surface and the latter edged behind. Stokes had already clanged Reddy on the helmet and it took the bowling coach, Tim Southee, rushing down from the pavilion to call time on a seven-over spell.

But for those two moments from Stokes, and a frantic passage after lunch when Shoaib Bashir outfoxed Rahul to shut down a wonderfully neat 100, England might well have been batted out of this Test match. As it is, following an evening session in which England fought back to claim five for 71, a one-innings shootout has bubbled up. How the hosts fare with the bat on day four will likely decide this one.

India will have a few regrets. The tourists had been building ominously before Pant’s brain-fade on 74, with Rahul’s 10th Test century – his second at Lord’s – a masterclass in precision and style. The wiry right-hander almost seems born to bat in England, such is his diligence outside off-stump and ability to caress the ball square. He was undone by some exquisite dip from Bashir and edged to slip.

Thereafter, and despite at least three more flirtations with run outs, India owed plenty to their premier all-rounder. Supported by Reddy, and overcoming some serious heat from Jofra Archer, Ravindra Jadeja compiled 72 from 131 balls and once again brought out his flamboyant Rajput sword celebration upon reaching his half century.

But having turned 254 for five at the fall of Rahul’s wicket into 376 for six, Jadeja fell to a leg-side strangle off the previously struggling Chris Woakes – the first of four wickets to fall for 11 runs that snuffed out the innings. Just one over followed in England’s third innings as Zak Crawley made a bid for an Oscar with some cynical time-wasting.