With the Indian top-order having failed in the Lord’s Test barring the first innings’ century by KL Rahul, the spotlight has once again focused on the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Indian captain Shubman Gill and Karun Nair. With India falling short by 22 runs in their chase of the 193-run target on the final day of the Lord’s Test, Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, along with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj, took India closer to the target with their patient display at the tricky last-day wicket at Lord’s. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri sees the Indian top order’s failure on the fourth day of the Test as one of the key factors in the outcome of the Test, apart from Rishabh Pant’s run-out in the first innings.
“Having said that (About Rishabh Pant dismissal), again at 40/1 (in the second innings), I thought that was a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball, a nothing ball, to leave it and open the door for England. I thought that the timing of that dismissal turned things around. Because you saw when Siraj batted, when Bumrah batted, when Jadeja was batting, once the ball was 40 overs old, they hardly put a foot wrong. They were solid in defence and to bring that target down at lunch, 82 to get, you thought in the next 10 minutes it would be done and dusted. But to bring that 82 or 83 to 22 was a massive achievement. So it just goes to show that if the top order had just been a little tougher and mentally stronger on Day 4, towards the end, this game would have been India’s,” Shastri told The ICC review.
With India placed at 249 for 3 on the third day of the Test in reply to England’s first innings total of 387 runs, Pant was run out by a brilliant Ben Stokes throw just moments before lunch. KL Rahul was batting on 99 at that time, and Pant had tried to give Rahul back the strike and risked the single before he was run-out. Shastri termed it as the turning point of the match.
“The turning point for me in this Test match was, first of all, Rishabh Pant’s dismissal (in the first innings). Ben Stokes, simply outstanding presence of mind to hit at the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunch. Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver’s seat.” Shastri said.
The former Indian head coach also drew comparisons of the Lord’s Test to the second Test played at the same venue during India’s tour to England in 2021. Shastri was the head coach of the Indian team in the Test, which saw India batting first posting a total of 364. England had replied with a first innings total of 391 followed by India declaring their second innings at 298 for 8 setting a target of 272 runs. England were bundled out for a total of 120 runs, handing India a 151-run win.
“It reminded me so much of the Test match in 2021. Only on that occasion, it was India who batted first. Scorelines were very similar, 300, 300 and then a collapse in the second innings. At that time, India won. This time it was England. But a fascinating series and two more to go. Anything can happen. India can bounce back straight away and if that happens, The Oval (final Test) will be a thriller. Fifteen days in the series, it’s been riveting stuff. And at times, I think India could have been 3-0 up. A little bit of luck, India could have been 3-0 up,” added Shastri.
The former Indian head coach also praised England for their resilience. “You have to compliment England. When the going got tough, those moments they seized. And when they saw an opening in the door, they just banged their door down. There was hardly anything in that surface, and if you had lost two wickets less the previous day I think India would have chased that down.” said Shastri.
