Two epic sporting encounters unfolded in London on July 14, delivering contrasting results. England edged past India in an intense neck-and-neck battle to win the third cricket Test at Lord’s, going 2-1 up in the five-match series. A few miles away, No 1 seeded Italian tennis ace Jannik Sinner staged a remarkable comeback in the Wimbledon final, defeating Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in four sets to claim his first – and Italy’s maiden – Wimbledon title.
England strengthen their hold at Lord’s
With a 22-run win, England consolidated their record against India at Lord’s. Out of 20 Tests, England have won 13, India just three, while four have been drawn. The history of Manchester’s Old Trafford, the venue for the fourth Test, is also unfavourable for India. The visitors have never won a Test there; England have secured four victories out of nine matches played since 1936, with five draws.
The fourth Test is scheduled to begin on July 23, giving the Indian squad a welcome eight-day gap to recover from the Lord’s loss and attempt to level the series in Manchester.
Battle of equals
When India’s squad for the England tour was announced, optimism was muted, particularly as the team lacked the retired Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In their absence, Ravindra Jadeja (80 Tests before the series) and KL Rahul (58) were the most experienced players. New Captain Shubman Gill had played only 32 Tests, while Vice-Captain Rishabh Pant had featured in 43. Despite this relative inexperience, India have displayed fighting spirit, though lapses in commitment at crucial moments have cost them dearly.
England, by contrast, boast far greater experience, with Joe Root having played 156 Tests and captain Ben Stokes 114. Coupled with their home advantage, they have maintained the upper hand.
India fought gamely in the first two Tests and resisted strongly at Lord’s as well, but their intensity seemed to dip. Jasprit Bumrah, returning after being rested for the second Test, made an immediate impact with his 15th five-wicket haul in the first innings, helping restrict England to 387. Root’s 37th century was the backbone of the hosts’ innings. India, coincidentally, matched England’s total, thanks largely to Rahul’s 10th Test hundred.
Decisive second innings
Indian bowlers raised their game in the second innings, bundling England out for 192. Off-spinner Washington Sundar starred with four wickets. However, England’s attack, led by Stokes and Jofra Archer, made batting difficult for the visitors as they chased a modest 193-run target.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dismissal to an impetuous hook shot off Archer in the second over set the tone for India’s struggles. Jadeja, however, applied himself admirably, batting for over four hours for a gritty 61 not out off 181 balls. Rahul (39 off 58) provided support at the top, but Stokes produced a match-winning spell, finishing with three wickets – the same as Archer. Stokes was named Man of the Match for his all-round performance and captaincy. It was his fourth such award at Lord’s, the most by any player at the venue.
India not only lost the match but also saw a record fall. Root surpassed Rahul Dravid’s world record of most catches in Tests, taking his 211th catch in his 156th match, overtaking Dravid’s 210 in 164.
Costly mistakes
India’s defeat was compounded by lapses in the field. Rishabh injured his finger while diving to stop a Bumrah delivery in the 34th over of the first innings, forcing Dhruv Jurel to keep wickets for the remainder of the match. Jurel conceded 25 byes in the second innings, and India conceded a total of 32 extras – a costly figure given the 22-run defeat margin.
Despite his injury, Rishabh batted at No 5 and scored a vital 74 off 112 balls, the second-highest score in the first innings. His run-out, however, proved crucial. Attempting a quick single to give Rahul the strike so he could complete his century before lunch on the fifth day, Rishabh was run out by a sharp Stokes direct throw. Rahul duly completed his century after lunch. Gill later called it “the most important moment” for India.
Before the run-out, Rishabh and Rahul had added 141 runs for the fourth wicket, India’s highest partnership of the innings. But after Rishabh’s dismissal, India’s lower order crumbled, losing their last seven wickets for 139 runs and collapsing from 248 for three to 387 all out.
Gill defends his team
Despite the loss, Gill expressed confidence in his team. “With plenty of batting left, I was pretty confident [of chasing down the target]. But the way England kept attacking, we wanted to have maybe a couple of 50-run partnerships in our top-order. We weren’t able to do that and they played better than us,” he said after the match.
He praised Jadeja’s resistance, saying, “He is very experienced, and I didn’t want to give him any message. I think he was batting really well with the tail and I just wanted him and the tail-enders to bat as long as possible.”
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Gill confirmed that Rishabh would be fit for the fourth Test but refused to confirm whether Bumrah would play in Manchester. “You will get to know about it soon,” he said. Before the series, coach Gautam Gambhir had indicated that Bumrah would feature in only three Tests to manage his workload; he has played two so far.
Stokes, who has been managing injuries limiting his bowling, sent down 44 overs across both innings for figures of five for 111 and scored 77 runs. “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,” he said after England’s win.
