PHOTOS: Woakes hits century to put England in control

Images from Day 3 of the second Test at Lord's on Saturday.

Chris Woakes marked his return to Test cricket with a maiden century, and in the able company of Jonny Bairstow, handed England a massive advantage over a beleaguered India in the second Test, at Lord's, on Saturday.

• Scorecard

Woakes struck a polished ton as England finished day three in a dominant position, reaching 357 for six when bad light stopped play early on Day 3, in London.

The all-rounder was unbeaten on 120 runs, while Sam Curran was 22 not out as England stretched their lead to 250 runs, after they had bowled out India for 107 on the second day.

Woakes came into the game after an injury-induced break and as a replacement for the in-form Ben Stokes.

Post tea, Woakes and Bairstow (93) played positively as they took their sixth-wicket partnership to 189 runs.

There was almost no fight from the Indian team as both batsmen marched towards their centuries in style. Woakes got there first, off 129 balls, as their 150-partnership came in just 219 deliveries.

Bairstow slowed down with the landmark in sight and paid the price for it with Hardik Pandya nabbing him just short of three-figures. Dinesh Karthik took a diving one-handed catch to the right to dismiss him.

Earlier, Bairstow and Jos Buttler positively after the lunch break after the hosts had lost a few quick wickets in the morning session.

However, both batsmen played and missed a lot as they looked to keep the runs coming, with Bairstow in particular searching for timing as he played quite a few inside-edges that missed his stumps.

Shami finally got the breakthrough for India as he trapped Buttler plumb leg before wicket in the 32nd over.

But Bairstow and Woakes defied them as the visitors severely missed a third full-time pacer to back up Shami and Sharma. Pandya tried but couldn't assert himself on the proceedings while Kuldeep Yadav was taken for easy runs.

In doing so, Bairstow brought up his 19th Test half-century off 76 balls. Soon afterwards, Woakes did the same, and reached his fifth Test half-century off 71 balls.

England were reduced to 89 for four at lunch but India's bowlers failed to capitalise in the second session.

Shami troubled the batsmen more in this opening spell in the morning session, with Ishant finding more impact as he changed lines to come around the wicket. The breakthrough came in the eighth over as Shami trapped Keaton Jennings (11) lbw, with England losing a review in the process.

It became a double blow as five balls later Alastair Cook (21) was caught behind off Ishant as the hosts were reduced to 32-2.

Joe Root (19) and 20-year-old debutant Olliver Pope (28) then added 45 runs for the third wicket to steady the innings somewhat and they were helped by some shoddy bowling from Kuldeep and an ordinary first spell from Pandya.

Surprisingly, Ashwin didn't get to bowl in the first session.

Pandya made a good comeback as dismissed Pope leg before wicket in the 22nd over, as England lost their second review as well.

The big blow of the morning came at the stroke of lunch as Shami returned to pick up Root, trapping him lbw, as India roared back into contention.