England defeated India by 22 runs in the exciting third Test at Lord’s to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. India required a good stand from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as they resumed Day 5 on 58/4, chasing 193. However, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, England’s pace combo, emerged from the batting order.
Ravindra Jadeja remained undefeated on 61, fighting to the very end. Jasprit Bumrah played 55 balls and Nitish Kumar Reddy played fighting knocks. Even Mohammed Siraj put up a great fight in the last session, but Shoaib Bashir, who was playing with a broken finger, bowled Siraj with just 23 runs remaining to give England the victory. With a PCT of 66.67, this victory moves England up to second place in the WTC rankings, while India drops to fourth place with 33.33.
Talking Points
1. Ravindra Jadeja’s tenacious knock is unsuccessful
Day 5 saw an outstanding knock by India’s top all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, but with wickets dropping all around him and less support from the other end, Jadeja scored his fourth consecutive half-century under duress. His knock, though, was in futile because England won in the end. Jadeja was sure to respect the nice balls and take advantage of scoring opportunities during his 132-ball partnership with Jasprit Bumrah and then with Mohammed Siraj.
2. The lengthy stretch of Ben Stokes during the fifth day’s morning session:
On the last day at Lord’s, Ben Stokes challenged the Indian hitters early in the morning with a long spell. Stokes maintained his economy of 2.00 while taking three wickets in his 24-over performance. Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, and KL Rahul were among his victims. With five wickets at the end of the day, he was named the player of the match for his efforts. Stokes maintained pressure at one end while Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse took wickets from the other.
3. Shoaib Bashir’s broken finger was the last nail in the coffin:
At Lord’s, Shoaib Bashir bowled heroically despite having a broken finger to help England defeat India by a slim margin. While trying to make a return catch from Ravindra Jadeja on Day 4, the off-spinner hurt his left little finger. When it counted most, Bashir came back on Day 5 with England needing only one wicket, despite the pain. Bashir flicked it up outside off as he bowled to Mohammed Siraj. Despite Siraj’s defence, the ball rolled off the bat’s face, looped back in, and struck the leg stump, displacing the bail and giving England the victory.
Who Made What Remark?
Ben Stokes (England captain and Player of the Match):
Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open. A bit of discussion, Brydon had an amazing spell, but I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back. Every time he’s announced on the tannoy, the ground erupts and when the speeds go up on the screen, the feeling changes. I’ve taken myself to some pretty dark places, but if bowling your country to a Test match win doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what does. Bashir, it was written in the stars to take that last wicket. An absolute warrior. With what was on the line… I was cooked yesterday, but the game was on the line, nothing was stopping me. I’m an allrounder, I get four opportunities to influence the game, and if one thing doesn’t click… I’d like to score more runs, but you don’t have a chance to worry about anything. In the middle of the spell, so I was pretty pumped up. Important position at extra cover, and in my peripheral I saw Rishabh stutter. One of the great feelings, when you let go of the ball and know it’s going to hit the stumps. Always going to be the way, two very good teams going toe to toe. Not going to lie, looking forward to lying in my bed for four days.”
Shubman Gill (India captain):
Extremely proud, as close as Test cricket gets. Pretty confident this morning, plenty of batting left this morning, we needed a couple of partnerships in the top order, we couldn’t do that, they played better than us. But there’s always hope. Target wasn’t massive, one partnership and back in the game. Jaddu very experienced, no messages, just wanted him and the tail to keep batting. A lead in first innings would have been crucial for us. Things turned quickly, last hour we could have applied ourselves better, and this morning they came up with plans. The series score doesn’t reflect how we’ve played. You’ll get to know soon.
India
