India could have been 3-0 up with a bit of luck in England series: Ravi Shastri
The third Test at Lord's proved to be a fiercely contested battle, with both teams exchanging blows throughout. Despite a spirited fight from the visitors, it was England who emerged victorious, edging past India in a tense finish to level the series.Shastri, speaking on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan, expressed frustration over missed chances and poor decision-making that turned the tide in England's favour."With a little bit of luck, India could have been 3-0 up," Shastri said. "The turning point for me in this Test match was, first of all, Rishabh Pant's dismissal [in the first innings]. Ben Stokes-simply outstanding presence of mind-to hit the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunch. Because India were in the driver's seat."Pant was cruising on 74 before a moment of brilliance in the field from Ben Stokes caught him short of his ground just before lunch on Day 3, swinging the momentum back to the hosts.In the second innings, India were 40 for 1 and seemingly in control while chasing a modest target of 193. However, a moment of misjudgement from Karun Nair, who shouldered arms to a straight delivery, opened the door for England's bowlers."That was a huge lapse in concentration," said Shastri. "It turned things around. Because once the ball got older, you saw how solid Siraj, Bumrah and Jadeja were in defence. If the top order had just been a bit tougher and mentally stronger towards the end of Day 4, this game would have been India's."India eventually folded for 170, falling short by just 22 runs despite a late fightback led by Ravindra Jadeja, the ICC's No. 1 ranked Test all-rounder.England's attack, spearheaded by Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, orchestrated a dramatic collapse across the final two sessions. Shastri admitted England deserved credit for capitalising on key moments."You have to compliment England," he said. "When the going got tough, they seized the moments. When they saw a crack in the door, they kicked it wide open. There was hardly anything in that surface. If India had lost two wickets fewer the previous day, they would have chased it down."advertisementReflecting on the match, Shastri drew parallels to India's iconic win at Lord's in 2021, when he was head coach."It reminded me of the 2021 Test here," he recalled. "On that occasion, India batted first, similar scorelines, and a collapse in the second innings. Back then, India won. This time, it was England."He also touched on other missed opportunities earlier in the series, including at Headingley and tactical errors at Lord's, such as chasing personal milestones before lunch on Day 3.Despite the setback, Shastri remains optimistic about India's chances in the remainder of the series.- EndsYou May Also Like
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
25 minutes ago
- First Post
'Jassi bhai toh khelege': Siraj ends doubts over Bumrah ahead of must-win Manchester Test
Mohammed Siraj has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will play the crucial 4th Test against England at Old Trafford. Siraj also gave updates on Akash Deep's injury and shared India's bowling plans as they look to level the series. read more Jasprit Bumrah collected seven wickets (5/74 and 2/38) in the Lord's Test, which India lost by 22 runs. AP Team India got a big boost ahead of the must-win fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, as Mohammed Siraj confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will definitely play. Bumrah's availability was in question because of his workload management, but Siraj cleared the air during a press conference on Monday. 'Akash Deep has a groin issue. He bowled today and now the physios will check him. But Jassi bhai toh khelege (Bumrah will definitely play),' Siraj was quoted as saying by Times of India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read: He also spoke about the team's bowling plans for the game, which starts on July 23. 'Combination is changing but we need to bowl in good areas. The plan is simple – stick to good areas,' Siraj added. India are trailing 1-2 in the five-match series after losing the third Test at Lord's. With key players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Arshdeep Singh ruled out due to injuries, India's team combination is expected to change for the Manchester Test. The final playing XI will be announced before the start of the match, but Bumrah's inclusion comes as a big relief for captain Shubman Gill and the team management as they look to level the series. Also Read: India camp rocked by injury crisis: How team combination could change after Nitish Reddy, Arshdeep Singh blow Siraj also spoke about the heartbreak at Lord's, where India lost by a narrow margin of 22 runs. Siraj was the last wicket to fall, and it was not even his fault. He defended a delivery from Shoaib Bashir really well with soft hands but the ball bounced and rolled onto the stumps. 'I am very emotional… it could have been 2-1. Jaddu bhai ne itna fight kiya. But then I said to myself that series is not over and I will work on my batting. We kept working hard on our batting since Australia. 22 runs defeat was heartbreaking,' Siraj said.
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘We realised he was our wildcard that would play for India for very long time..': Cheteshwar Pujara on his early memories of Jasprit Bumrah
Even though India lost the Lord's Test against England last week, the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy saw the 31-year-old Indian pacer taking his 13th five-for in Tests overseas with the five-wicket haul in England first innings breaking Kapil Dev's earlier record of most five-for by an Indian bowlers in overseas Tests. While Bumrah, who has played in 47 Tests, has a total of 217 wickets in his Test career, Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has recalled how he saw Bumrah as 'India's wildcard' early in pacer's career. 'It was on his first tour of England in 2018 when he went up another level as a bowler. By the time we went to Australia the following winter we realised he was our wildcard that would play for India for a very long time. He was instrumental as we won in Australia for the first time. You may remember on that tour of England a hooping inswinger he bowled to Keaton Jennings who was out lbw without playing a shot. England's batters just could not read his swing and, using the Dukes ball for the first time, when he got it to move, it moved a long I had bowled a ball like that one to Jennings I would have been running around celebrating and talking about it for ages. Jasprit stayed cool and didn't ever brag. He just gets on with the next delivery,' Pujara wrote in his column of BBC Sport. After making his debut in IPL, Bumrah would first break into the Indian test team in South Africa in 2018. The then 25-year-old would end with four wickets in the Cape Town Test in the series. Pujara, who was playing in the Test match which India lost by 72 runs, recalled how he had first faced Bumrah in a club match long before he played in IPL and for India. The Saurashtra batsman also shared how Bumrah was unlike any other bowler due to his unique action and was quicker than Mohammad Shami. 'Throughout the following years he began to make his name in the Indian Premier League but before he played his first Test in Cape Town in South Africa in 2018, there were still a lot of question marks around him in India. His action was unique, people questioned whether he would be able to swing the red ball or if he had the consistency and control for the longer format. He may have only taken four wickets in that first Test but he answered all of those questions. I remember standing at first slip with Virat Kohli next to me at second and Shikhar Dhawan at third. We were all saying how it just felt unlike any of the other bowlers. We had Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya playing in that game but again he felt different. Shami was quick but Bumrah was quicker,' Pujara wrote further. Bumrah's 13 th five-for in overseas Tests came in 35 overseas Tests while Kapil Dev had made the earlier record of 12 five-for in overseas Tests in 66 overseas Tests for India. Bumrah, who will be featuring in the Manchester Test, currently has 49 wickets in 11 Tests in England. With Wasim Akram currently holds the record of an Asian bowler with most number of Test wickets in England with a tally of 53 wickets in 14 Test matches in England. Pujara would also talk about how the Indian pacer is a keen observer of the game even while sitting in the dressing room. 'In the dressing room he is always watching the game. Most fast bowlers come off the field and relax with their feet up. He does relax but he always has an eye on the field. When I used to sit next to him he would always be giving an input on what our batters or the opposition could be doing differently, which is why he was viewed as a candidate to be captain before India appointed Shubman Gill. Most people talk about Bumrah's skills with the ball, his angle or his action but his biggest strength is often overlooked. He has a brilliant cricket brain which comes from his time in the IPL. There he worked with people like former Sri Lanka bowler Lasith Malinga and has gained the skills to outsmart a batter. His first instinct is always to bowl his best ball but if a batter gets in he knows all of their strengths and weaknesses. He has taken the skills from white-ball cricket to become the complete Test bowler,' Pujara wrote. The Indian batsman also recalled how Bunch had helped him get to a hundred in the fourth Test against England at Southampton during the 2018 England series. Puraja and Bumrah had added 46 for the last wicket as Pujara completed his hundred and remained unbeaten on 132 runs. 'One of my favourite moments on that England tour in 2018 came in Southampton when Jasprit helped me get through to a hundred in the first innings. I was on 96 when he came out at number 11 and I have to admit I did not think I would get there but he walked in and said 'I will defend. I don't know if I will survive but I will do my best. I ended up finishing on 132 not out as we put on 46 for the last wicket. That day sums him up because whether batting or bowling he is a very competitive cricketer. When it comes to his bowling, no matter the situation of the game, he always wants and believes he can get a wicket. Ultimately, he is the perfect team man,' wrote Pujara.
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Can someone show Prithvi this? It can be done': Pietersen lauds Sarfaraz's fitness overhaul, points out Shaw
Middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan underwent a rigorous transformation, shedding nearly 17 kgs in hopes of reviving his international career after being unexpectedly omitted from India's Test squad for the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Series against England. Working tirelessly with his father — his lifelong coach — Sarfaraz dedicated the past few months to intense fitness training. Having gone unsold in the Indian Premier League 2025, the batter channelled that disappointment into his weight-loss mission. In Sarfaraz's absence, Karun Nair was picked by the selection committee for the England tour as the Karnataka batter made his India comeback after eight years. Former England star Kevin Pietersen praised Sarfaraz's dedication, predicting it would translate to improved on-field performances. Posting on X, Pietersen wrote: 'Outstanding effort, young man! Huge congrats and I'm sure it's going to lead to better and more consistent performances on the field. I love the time you've spent reorganising your priorities! LFG!' In a pointed remark, he added: 'Can someone show Prithvi this please? It can be done! Strong body, strong mind!' referencing out-of-form Prithvi Shaw, who has faced persistent criticism regarding his fitness. Outstanding effort, young man! Huge congrats and I'm sure it's going to lead to better and more consistent performances on the field. I love the time you've spent reorganising your priorities! LFG! 🚀 Can someone show Prithvi this please? It can be done! Strong body, strong… — Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) July 21, 2025 Shaw was dropped by the Mumbai senior selection committee last year from a Ranji Trophy game due to poor fitness and was prescribed a two-week fitness programme prepared by the MCA trainers. The team management had informed MCA that Prithvi Shaw's body contains 35 percent fat and that he needs rigorous training before he gets back into the side. Last October, the selection committee of MCA had taken a call that Shaw needed to shed off a few kilos, if he wants to play for the Mumbai team again. His fitness and form never improved and as a result the selection committee decided to drop him from Vijay Hazare Trophy too which was played in December 2024. Shaw moved away from Mumbai and is set to play for Maharashtra from the next domestic season after receiving a NOC from MCA.
