India’s Fight at Lord’s - India Vs England 3rd TEST

The just-concluded Test match between India and England at Lord’s will be remembered as a heart-stopper. Over five days, the game swung like a pendulum, but as an Indian fan, it was those last two days — Day 4 and Day 5 — where we truly felt the drama unfold. India were dominant after bundling England for under 200. That’s when top teams press the pedal and shut the door. We didn’t. We did not have the killer instinct. We let England sniff blood. And in England, that’s all they need.

Bowling Brilliance, Batting Blues on Day 4

India’s bowlers bring them back

You have to give it to our bowlers — they turned up when it mattered. Washington Sundar was the hero of the day, picking up four wickets with his teasing spin and impeccable control. Every time England tried to build a partnership, one of our lads would break through. Bumrah and Siraj kept the pressure up at the other end, and England folded for just 192 in their second innings. You know what else fled the scene - BAZBALL, it was no-where to be seen, for all the talk and hype built around it

On a pitch that was starting to misbehave, keeping low at times, our bowlers showed great discipline. They set up the game beautifully. 193 to win on the last two days at Lord’s — you’d take that any day.

And then… the collapse

But what followed was tough to watch. Chasing 193, our openers walked out looking calm, but it didn’t take long for cracks to show. Yashasvi Jaiswal deserves credit, but on this day, he played a shot, that was uncalled for, in a way, giving England, the foot hold they needed. This was the turning point. After bowling out England for just 192, India had the game by the scruff of the neck. But instead of digging in, our batters played some loose shots.

Shubman Gill poked at one outside off and was gone early. Then wickets kept tumbling — Nair, Pant, one after the other. They had played so well and when it was needed, they could stay. It's not everyday, we get chances like this.

By stumps, we were 58/4. The atmosphere was tense, and while KL Rahul was still there on 33*, it felt like we’d given England a sniff they didn’t deserve. It's ironical, Bumrah and Siraj showed more grit. Granted, they did not score, they stayed!

As a fan, it was frustrating. The bowlers worked so hard to keep us in the game, but the top order, other than Rahul, didn’t show the application needed on that pitch. Late in the day, you expect the batsmen to dig in and take it to the next morning

Jadeja’s Lone Battle & The Tail’s Grit

The early blows

Day 5 began with hopes pinned on KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. But those hopes were quickly dented. Rahul edged one behind not long into the day, and Pant followed soon after with a soft dismissal. The ball was moving just enough, and England’s bowlers were relentless. All they had to do was to bowl in the right areas and wait for the batsmen to make mistakes. At 95/6, things looked bleak.

Jadeja shines again

But if there’s one man in Indian cricket today who can handle these situations, it’s Jadeja. Calm, composed, and confident, he started to farm the strike and picked up boundaries when he could. Jadeja was magnificent — no two ways about it — but where were the partnerships? KL Rahul’s 39 was great, but once he got out, there was no one to hang in. Other than Bumrah and Siraj, no one spent time at the crease. That tells you how poorly the middle order fared under pressure. Even a 30-run stand from any two of our recognized batters could’ve sealed this.

His footwork against spin was sharp, and he didn’t let the fast bowlers settle. The famed English attack could not get through him. That six he hit over midwicket — pure class. Jadeja went on to score an unbeaten 61, showing why he’s more than just a bowler who can bat. Could Jadeja have used a different approach. He had settled down and was quite comfortable. Most of his boundary scoring runs found fielders. What if, he managed to get better placement? A few more boundaries, would have had the scoreboard ticking. It required thinking differently, balancing the twin goals of protecting the tail-end batters while keeping the scoreboard moving. England knew this, minutes went by, without Jadeja taking singles. On second thoughts, would it be easy to say? But then, there's always a way-out.

The tail refuses to lie down

Even though wickets kept falling at the other end, the tail-enders showed unexpected fight. Bumrah got a streaky boundary, and Siraj blocked ball after ball, supporting Jadeja as much as he could.

For a while, it looked like a miracle might happen. But eventually, Siraj was trapped in front by Shoaib Bashir, and India fell 22 runs short. What an unfortunate way for the game to end. Bashir was lucky & padestrian, if Siraj had just managed to stop or deflect the ball, he would not have gotten the wicket.

Final Word

This was a match we could — and maybe should — have won. The bowlers gave everything on Day 4, but the batsmen just didn’t back them up enough. Jadeja’s innings was a reminder of what composure and technique can achieve under pressure, but one man can only do so much.

There’s no shame in losing a close Test, but as a fan who has watched this team for years, I can’t help but feel we let the game slip late on Day 4.

That’s Test cricket for you — cruel, beautiful, and unforgettable.

Man of the Match (for India, in my heart): Ravindra Jadeja — for holding the fort when everyone else fell around him.

India didn’t lose this match in one over or one session — it was a slow leak. The kind of Test match where each tiny mistake adds up. The bowlers did their job. Jadeja & Rahul did more than their share. The rest? Not enough. But that’s Test cricket — it teaches you, and leaves you wanting more.

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