India go down fighting by 22 runs at Lords test, Jadeja's efforts in vain

 

Despite a desperate effort, Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t take India over the line at Lord’s. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj’s resistance with the bat also fell short, as India failed to chase down the 193-run target. The main reason behind India’s 22-run defeat was a collective batting failure, particularly from the top and middle order. The innings folded for 170, with Jadeja and Bumrah staging a defiant stand after India had collapsed to 112 for 8. They added 35 runs for the ninth wicket, showing admirable grit across 22 overs, but it wasn’t enough. Siraj’s 30-ball stay for just 4 runs offered further resistance, as the last pair survived 13.2 overs, but even that couldn’t prevent the loss. With this win, Ben Stokes’ England take a 2-1 lead in the series.

India began the final day needing 135 runs, while England required 6 wickets. Both sides had a fair chance of victory. The morning conditions at Lord’s offered assistance to bowlers, and England capitalized through Stokes and Jofra Archer, who generated notable swing. Rishabh Pant (9), KL Rahul (39), and Washington Sundar (0) misjudged the line and fell cheaply. Pant was bowled by a beauty from Archer that moved slightly to miss Pant's defensive prod & sent the off stump cartwheeling . Sundar wassuperbly caught & bowled by Archer & Rahul was leg before. India collapsed dramatically, losing 7 wickets for just 82 runs within the first hour of play. Under pressure, only Jadeja and youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy offered some hope. However, Nitish too fell for 13 caught behind off Woakes . Jadeja, in excellent form, stood firm while the young Reddy continues to search for rhythm at the international level. Once Rahul was dismissed, the result seemed inevitable, but Jadeja battled on. He scored an unbeaten 61, registering his fourth consecutive Test half-century, and received dogged support from Bumrah and Siraj in a valiant but ultimately futile stand.

In the first innings, both teams ended with identical scores of 387. However, the contrast in how they arrived there made a key difference. England were 271 for 7 but still managed to post 387, adding 116 for the last three wickets. In comparison, India were 376 for 7 and could add only 11 runs more. That 105-run differential in the lower order contributions turned out to be decisive. Pant’s run-out in the first innings, while trying a risky single despite being well set with Rahul before tea on Day 3, also hurt India’s momentum.

England’s bowlers have consistently taken wickets and contributed with the bat when needed. Had Bumrah and Siraj shown similar application in the first innings, the result might have swung India’s way. In modern Test cricket, it’s difficult to be the best without depth in batting. And certainly not in red-ball cricket. For a team that has reached back-to-back World Test Championship finals, India’s long tail remains a weakness that continues to cost them. It’s an issue head coach Gautam Gambhir will undoubtedly need to address going forward.