As an absorbing Test match approaches its conclusion at Lord's tonight, some of the limelight has been shifted from the action between England and India to a bizarre piece of pitch-cleaning from a groundsman on day three.

The incident (watch it above) occurred during the lunch interval, with the score at 0-11 in India's second innings.

Lord's groundsman Shane Doherty stood in the centre of the pitch, and proceeded to sweep the outer edges of the surface, while dragging his right foot for several metres.

The incident caught the attention of commentator and legendary West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding, who described what was happening: "As he goes down (the pitch), he's lifting the left leg but he's not bothering to lift the right, so he has pretty much created a bit of a track, and then when he gets to the end he realises, 'What have I done?'"

Lord's played down the incident on twitter, posting:

RE: the groundsman, MCC admits a genuine, honest mistake, and there was no intent to damage the pitch. #EngvInd — Lord's Ground (@HomeOfCricket) July 19, 2014

Ex-England batsman Kevin Pietersen however, was shocked by what unfolded, tweeting:

I cannot believe what I've just seen on TV from one of the ground staff! #EngvInd — Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) July 19, 2014

With one day remaining, India need six wickets to claim their first win on foreign soil in more than three years, while England require 214 runs to end a winless run that has extended to nine Tests.

Follow the live scores here