India suffered a narrow defeat at Lord’s on Day 5 of the third Test, falling short by 22 runs while chasing a target of 193. Resuming the day at 58/4, hopes were high with plenty of batting left, but wickets continued to tumble and the team never found the rhythm they needed. England now lead the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2–1.
After the match, Indian captain Shubman Gill said: “Extremely proud — as close as Test cricket gets. We were pretty confident this morning with plenty of batting left. We needed a couple of partnerships in the top order, but we couldn’t do that. They played better than us.”
In-form Rishabh Pant, who was looking dangerous, was run out due to miscommunication in the first innings. Despite being ahead at one stage, India failed to take a first-innings lead.
“A lead in the first innings would have been crucial for us,” Gill added, reflecting on a key moment in the match.
Tailenders Fight, But Fall Short
Ravindra Jadeja held one end and tried to shepherd the lower order. The world’s number-one ranked Test all-rounder faced 181 balls for his 61 runs but ran out of batting partners.
“Jaddu is very experienced. There were no messages — we just wanted him and the tail to keep batting,” Gill said.
Along with Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj also showed great resistance. Bumrah batted for over 100 minutes, facing 54 deliveries, while Siraj played out 30 balls before being outfoxed by Shoaib Bashir. Bumrah eventually lost his wicket attempting a big shot.
When asked if Bumrah would be available for the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Gill responded: “You’ll get to know soon.”
India will now take on England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting on 23 July.
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