In a gripping contest that saw the momentum swing constantly, England edged past India by 22 runs in the final session of Day 5 of the third Test at Lord’s, taking a 2-1 lead in the series. Despite Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty half-century and remarkable resilience from India’s tailenders, the visitors fell just short in a dramatic finish.
Chasing 193 to win, India were bundled out for 170, with Jadeja scoring a valiant 61 and holding the innings together while the lower order tried to support him. The final partnership between Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj offered hope, as they battled through pressure and fiery bowling. Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah together faced 84 balls for just nine runs, helping India creep closer to the target. However, Siraj was eventually bowled by a Shoaib Bashir delivery that spun sharply, ending India’s brave fight.
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India began the final day at 58 for 4, with KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant at the crease. Pant started aggressively but was cleaned up by Jofra Archer for nine, and Rahul, after a steady 39, was trapped by Ben Stokes with a delivery that seamed in sharply. India lost wickets quickly, with Washington Sundar falling for a duck and Nitish Kumar Reddy edging one after a brief stand. Bumrah then hung in with Jadeja, adding 35 runs for the ninth wicket before falling for five from 54 balls. Jadeja’s fifty, his fourth in a row, came from 150 balls, but he remained subdued, knowing the enormity of the task. Siraj and Jadeja then pushed India past 160, before Bashir broke through to seal the win for England.
Earlier in the match, both teams had posted identical scores of 387 in their first innings. England, led by Joe Root’s 100 and lower-order resistance from Jamie Smith (51) and Brydon Carse (56), posted their total despite Bumrah’s five-wicket haul. India replied with solid knocks from KL Rahul (100), Ravindra Jadeja (72), and support from Nitish (30) and Sundar (23), keeping the contest perfectly balanced.
England’s second innings saw them post 192, with Root top-scoring again with 40 and Stokes adding 33. Washington Sundar was the standout for India with 4 for 22, while Bumrah and Siraj picked two wickets each. That set India a target of 193, which proved just out of reach despite a spirited chase.
In the end, it was England’s ability to take wickets at regular intervals and the brilliance of their pace trio — Stokes (3/48), Archer (3/55), and Carse (2/30) — that made the difference. For India, Jadeja’s resilience and Bumrah’s historic five-wicket haul in the first innings were shining moments in a match that could have gone either way.
Gill Reflects on Narrow Lord’s Defeat, Shares Thoughts on Bumrah’s Availability
After India’s narrow 22-run loss to England in the third Test at Lord’s, skipper Shubman Gill expressed disappointment but stood by his team’s fightback, especially in the second innings. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gill said he was proud of the team’s effort and praised Ravindra Jadeja and the tailenders for their resilience, even as India fell just short of chasing down 193. “There is always hope as long as there is a batsman batting. The target wasn’t massive, and we knew that one 50-60 run partnership could bring us back in,” Gill said. “Jadeja was batting really well with the tail. I didn’t want to give him too many messages — just asked him and the others to bat as long as possible.”
Gill acknowledged that India’s top-order failure cost them crucial momentum. “We were not able to get those partnerships at the top. The last hour yesterday and the start today, we could have applied ourselves a bit better. A lead of 80-100 runs in the first innings would have made a big difference, especially on a fifth-day wicket,” he added. He also remarked that the scoreboard might not truly reflect how well India played and expected the rest of the series to be even more exciting. On Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the fourth Test, Gill kept it brief: “You will get to know about it soon.”
Brief Scores:
- England 387 & 192 (Joe Root 40, Ben Stokes 33, Washington Sundar 4/22)
- India 387 & 170 (Ravindra Jadeja 61, KL Rahul 39, Ben Stokes 3/48).
- England won by 22 runs.
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