India lost the third Test at Lord's by 22 runs on day 5 with them chasing 193 runs to win. The Men in Blue needed 135 runs on the final day which they could not get in the end.
Though India lost the Test match, Indian fans braved the courage from the Indian lower-order who along with Ravindra Jadeja kept England at Bay almost till the last hour of the day's play.
Ravindra Jadeja was unbeaten on 61 runs off 181 balls with India's resistance finally falling short after the wickets of Jasprit Bumrah (5 runs off 54 balls) and ,( 4 runs off 30 balls). Siraj and Bumrah batted for 84 balls, allowing Jadeja to score the runs from the other end. However, Siraj was finally dismissed as a delivery from Shoaib Bashir that trickled onto his stumps.
Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Test Cricket at Its Best” - Reactions Pour In After Edge-of-the-Seat Finish at Lord's
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It was despair for the Indian team and the Indian fans in the end. However, they drew a lot of praise for the fight shown, especially by the lower-order. In the end, it was a game of what-ifs for the Indian team. Meanwhile, in this article, we look at five key reasons behind India's loss at Lord's.
1) Umpiring Errors From Paul Reiffel And Sharfuddoula
The two on-field umpires who officiated the Test match gave many controversial decisions especially when against India. Reifell ruled Joe Root not out when he looked plumb. He gave Shubman Gill out when the replays showed that there was enough gap between the bat and the ball. Meanwhile, KL Rahul was ruled out after the third umpire's decision went against India. Sunil Gavaskar questioned technology and lambasted the officials about the same.
2) India Giving 32 Extras In England's Second Innings
India conceded as many as 32 runs in extras during England's effort with the bat in the second innings. 25 of them came through byes. India lost the match by 22 runs and only if they were a little more disciplined with the ball in terms of not conceding the extras, the story would have been different at Lord's. This would certainly hurt the Indian team with them needing to win the last two Tests to win the series.
3) India Failing To Take Lead In First Innings
India were bowled out for 387 runs in their first innings, matching England's first innings total. They had an opportunity to post a total of almost 450 runs on the board and take a lead of more than 50 runs which would have been decisive. However, India lost the wicket of Jadeja with the score on 36 in their first innings and were eventually bowled out for 387. India lost a few more runs there.
4) Questionable Shot Selection From Yashasvi Jaiswal In Second Innings
Jaiswal disappointed in both innings of the Test match at Lord's. He scored 13 in the first innings and a duck in the second innings. Though he got a good one from Jofra Archer in the first innings, his shot selection was questionable in the second innings. Archer bounced him out in the second innings knowing his weakness against that kind of delivery and the plot was perfectly placed by England. Had he batted with a little more responsibility and scored atleast a half-century, India would have won the match.
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5) Karun Nair's Brainfade Moment In Second Innings
Yet again, Karun Nair lost an opportunity to stand up for India when he had a chance. The right-hander scored 40 runs off 62 balls in the first innings and could not kick on. He had an opportunity in the second innings. He added a good 36-run stand in the second innings with KL Rahul before misjudging a delivery from Brydon Carse and offering no shot to a ball that jagged back in sharply after pitching. With India losing at Lord's, Karun Nair's Test career might be over as well.
