The crackling contest between India and England at Lord’s ended with the hosts walking away with the victory and a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series on Monday. With on-field spats aplenty, this was one of the most spicier Tests in recent memory but it was England who had the last laugh with a 22-run victory, leaving India with 2 matches in order to get something out of the series.
Jasprit Bumrah (5 off 54) and Ravindra Jadeja (61*) resisted with all their might, keeping India afloat in the contest but as Ben Stokes sent back the former, the result of the match was fairly academic from there. Ultimately, Mohammed Siraj had his stumps rattled by Shoaib Bashir as the battle of attrition ended.
The ending was anti-climactic as well with Siraj successfully defended Bashir’s delivery off the back foot but the overspin that was generated led to the ball spinning behind after landing on the pitch and doing just enough to dislodge the bails.
Earlier, Jadeja batted efficiently alongside India’s usually fragile tail, taking the visitors to 30 runs shy of the victory target of 193 in an extended afternoon session on day five of the third Test.
India were 163 for nine at tea, collecting 41 runs in the session for the loss of Bumrah (5 off 54).
It was Jadeja’s fourth half-century in a row and came in the most trying circumstances with India staring at a big defeat at 112 for eight at lunch.
In the morning, the match looked as good as over for India whose inexperienced batting line-up failed in its first major test and surrendered against the Jofra Archer-led England pace attack.
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India, who batted brilliantly in the first two Tests, could not stand the test of Archer and Co. on a spicy day five pitch.
The outcome was a foregone conclusion when Chris Woakes had Nitish Reddy caught behind at the stroke of lunch to leave India tottering at 112 for eight chasing 193.
However, Jadeja’s steely effort created a glimmer of hope for India.
Starting the day at 58 for four and needing another 135 runs on a rapidly deteriorating surface with variable bounce, India needed their experienced batters to fire for their fourth success at the iconic ground since 1932 but it was not to be.
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The loss of Rishabh Pant (9 off 12 balls), K L Rahul (39 off 58) and Washington Sundar (0 off 4) inside the first hour made the chase an improbable task for India.
The key for India was the presence of Rahul and Pant in the middle but both departed in a space of 18 balls.
They needed to see out Archer’s spell but the tearaway pacer struck twice to put England on top.
Pant, who injured his left index finger while keeping on day one, clearly looked in discomfort while facing the extreme pace of Archer, wincing in pain every time the ball hurried on to his bat.
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Pant tried his best to make a difference, collecting a couple of fours via a flick and a one-handed drive off the Barbados-born bowler.
Archer, making a Test comeback after more than four years, flaunted his X-factor once again as he produced a beauty to send back a half-fit Pant back into the dressing room.
The ball straightened just enough from the angle to shatter Pant’s off-stump.
(With agency inputs)
