India dig deep but England prevail
Resuming the final day of an engrossingly fought third Test at Lord's on 58/4 and needing another 135 runs to take a 2‑1 lead, India's hopes rested largely on the duo of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. They were the last remaining specialist batting pair and two of the most experienced players in the team. England skipper Ben Stokes (3/48) and Jofra Archer (3/55), playing his first Test in four years and picked for the crunch game purely on reputation rather than readiness for the rigours of five‑day cricket, however, put England on course for a massive win after leaving India reeling at 82/7.
India, though, refused to throw in the towel and staged an incredible fightback with veteran Ravindra Jadeja (61 n.o., 181b) at the forefront of it with three nail‑biting partnerships that had everyone at the Home of Cricket on the edge of their seats. Jadeja, easily the Indian team's Most Valuable Player over the last decade, first forged a 30‑run stand for the eighth wicket with Nitish Kumar Reddy that was cut short at the stroke of lunch. At that stage, it looked dead and buried for India with another 81 runs needed and just two wickets in hand.
One of them was Jasprit Bumrah, who had scored four successive ducks. England smelt blood and came charging in the post‑lunch session, but Bumrah soaked it all superbly to defy the hosts with sheer grit and gumption. He dead‑batted everything England threw at him, and with every defensive shot, he drew huge cheers from the massive Indian gathering, and confidence in Jadeja also started to grow. But this Test, in fact, series, has been such that every time a team seemingly has gained the momentum, things take a u‑turn. Bumrah, having batted for 104 minutes, went for a glory shot out of nowhere off Stokes and was caught at mid‑on.
India, though, didn't give up with Mohammed Siraj slugging it out with Jadeja. Siraj even took a blow to his arm but soldiered on. It looked like he and Jadeja might pull off the impossible, but Shoaib Bashir dismissed him, the ball ricocheting off his bat onto the stumps as England wheeled away in celebrations. Siraj and Jadeja sunk in despair as the Indian innings folded up at 170, suffering a 22‑run loss.
Earlier, Archer, hailed by Stokes as a genius who could change games with his pace and hostility, did exactly what the skipper proclaimed on the eve of the contest. Totally amped up following the war of words the two sides had been exchanging from late Saturday evening, the 30‑year‑old bowled with fire, passion, and deadly accuracy.
The right‑armer, starting the attack along with Stokes, first dismissed Pant in his second over of the day with an absolute peach, the ball just straightening a shade after pitching, that left the wicketkeeper completely befuddled.
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