England clinched an exhilarating 22-run win in the third Test, taking a 2-1 series lead against India. The match concluded with Shoaib Bashir spectacularly bowling Mohammed Siraj, knocking over his leg stump with a ball that rolled back into the wicket.
Starting the day at 58-4, England needed 193 runs to secure victory. In a dynamic first hour, they secured three wickets, including Jofra Archer (3-55) dismissing Rishabh Pant (9) and taking a brilliant catch to remove Washington Sundar (0). Additionally, captain Ben Stokes (3-48) got KL Rahul (39) leg-before with a decisive delivery.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (13) and Ravindra Jadeja (61 not out) forged a resilient 30-run partnership for the eighth wicket, but Chris Woakes (1-21) dismissed Reddy just before lunch, leaving India struggling at 112-8, needing 81 runs to win.
Score Summary, Third Test at Lord’s
England First Innings: 387 all out after 112.3 overs. Top scorer: Joe Root 104 off 199.
India First Innings: 387 all out after 119.2 overs. Top scorer: KL Rahul 100 off 177.
England Second Innings: 192 all out after 62.1 overs. Top scorer: Joe Root 44 off 96.
India Second Innings: 170 all out after 74.5 overs. Top scorer: KL Rahul 39, Ravindra Jadeja 61 not out.
Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah (5 off 54) showed resistance despite England’s aggressive tactics. They formed a brief 35-run stand until Stokes induced a pull shot from Bumrah, caught by Sam Cook. Jadeja completed his fourth consecutive half-century, reducing the target to just 30 runs at tea, but it was Bashir who ultimately struck, dismissing Siraj in a dramatic finish.
England’s Steely Resolve Overcomes India’s Lower Order
Pant took a few early boundaries off Archer before he fell victim to a perfect delivery. Stokes’ leg-before dismissal of Rahul followed, confirmed via review. Archer continued to impress with a stunning catch to send Sundar back for a duck, leaving India at 82-7.
Despite a commendable effort from Jadeja and Reddy to add some runs, tension escalated on the field as Jadeja bumped into Carse, leading to a brief confrontation separated by Stokes, as England rallied to maintain the pressure. Woakes struck again before lunch, bringing India’s total down to 112-8.
Post lunch, Jadeja and Bumrah put up a fight, with the crowd backing India as they navigated the tense moments. England believed they had another wicket when Woakes trapped Jadeja leg-before, but a successful review kept him in. After some resistance, Stokes finally got Bumrah, and Jadeja fought on valiantly but was ultimately undone by Bashir’s unexpected delivery to secure an impressive Test victory for England.
Reactions to the Exciting Finish
Ben Stokes, England Captain: “I had a feeling that Archer would do something special today, coinciding with the anniversary of our World Cup win. He really opened up the game for us.”
Shubman Gill, India Captain: “I’m tremendously proud of our performance. This match came down to the wire, and though we fell short, we showed great resilience. We have played well and look forward to the upcoming matches.”
Catch the fourth Test between England and India live on Sky Sports Cricket on Wednesday, July 23, starting at 10 AM.
