England held their nerve to register a thrilling 22-run win over India in a gripping third Test at Lord’s on Sunday, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
After five days of fluctuating fortunes and fierce cricket, the home side sealed the match in dramatic fashion by dismissing India for 170 in their second innings, just short of a remarkable comeback.
India, chasing 193 for victory, resumed Day 5 at 58 for 4 under overcast skies. England’s pacers, led by captain Ben Stokes and a fiery Jofra Archer, struck early blows to reduce the visitors to 82 for 7 before lunch. But Ravindra Jadeja had other ideas.
Jadeja stands firm
Jadeja remained unbeaten on a valiant 61 off 181 deliveries, his fourth successive half-century in Test cricket. He shepherded the tail expertly and stitched gritty stands with Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, nearly pulling off the impossible.
The left-hander stood tall against relentless pace, particularly from Archer and Stokes, who constantly tested him with short balls and sharp movement. His knock included patient defence, deft singles, and the occasional audacious hit, including a six off Chris Woakes and a boundary to reach his fifty.
England chip away
England’s bowlers showed patience and precision. Stokes and Archer bagged three wickets apiece, while Brydon Carse picked up two. Woakes and Shoaib Bashir, playing through a finger injury, claimed one wicket each.
KL Rahul (39) was the only other significant contributor for India, who collapsed in the morning session. Stokes had him trapped leg before, successfully overturning the umpire’s decision via DRS. Archer removed Rishabh Pant with a searing delivery that uprooted his off stump and later pulled off a stunning one-handed return catch to dismiss Washington Sundar.
Bumrah, Siraj show fight
With just two wickets left after lunch, India’s last pair – Jadeja and Siraj – frustrated England. The duo defended stoutly and rotated strike cleverly to narrow the deficit. Siraj even endured a barrage of bouncers and was applauded for his courage.
But in the 75th over, Bashir got one to turn back into Siraj, who inside-edged onto his stumps to hand England a hard-earned victory. The scenes that followed were emotional – Joe Root and Zak Crawley were seen consoling a devastated Siraj, embodying the grace and spirit of Test cricket.
A day of double celebration
The win also marked a historic moment for England, who had lifted the 2019 ODI World Cup at the same venue exactly six years ago. The crowd at Lord’s, treated to another cliffhanger, roared as Stokes’ men celebrated a win that tested their limits.
Brief Scores:
England 387 & 192 in 62.1 overs (Joe Root 40; Washington Sundar 4-22)
India 387 & 170 in 74.5 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 61 not out, KL Rahul 39; Ben Stokes 3-48, Jofra Archer 3-55)
Result: England won by 22 runs
Series: England lead 2-1 in the five-match series
