Mohammed Siraj (Getty Images)
After nearly five days of captivating and hard-fought Test cricket, England survived a brave fightback led by a defiant Ravindra Jadeja to seal a thrilling 22-run win over India at Lord’s on Monday. With the victory, England took a 2-1 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.Resuming Day 5 on 58/4, India needed 135 runs to win with six wickets in hand. England’s pace attack came out firing, reducing India to 112/8 by lunch. But Jadeja held firm, scoring a magnificent 61* off 181 deliveries. He batted with calm, composure, and grit, nearly pulling off the improbable alongside the lower order.Ultimately, the resistance ended with India being bowled out for 170 in 74.5 overs — heartbreakingly short of the 193-run target.Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer led England’s charge with three wickets each, bowling marathon spells of 24 and 16 overs respectively. Brydon Carse claimed two, while Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir — despite carrying a finger injury — took one apiece. On the sixth anniversary of their 2019 ODI World Cup triumph at Lord’s, England found a way to win through relentless pressure and discipline.Both teams had scored 387 in their first innings. England’s second-innings effort of 192 left India chasing 193 — a target that felt within reach until the very end.Tension gripped the ground as the final session began, with Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj nudging singles and defending doggedly. But in the 75th over, Shoaib Bashir spun one sharply back into Siraj, the ball ricocheting off the bat and onto the stumps to dislodge the leg bail. England erupted in celebration, while the Indian camp was left in disbelief.Where did India lose the plot?63 EXTRAS CONCEDEDIndia gave away 63 runs in extras — a massive margin in such a low-scoring contest. In the first innings, 31 extras (11 byes, 13 leg byes, 5 wides, 2 no-balls) were conceded, followed by 32 more in the second (25 byes, 6 leg byes, 1 no-ball). The lack of discipline with both ball and gloves helped England stretch their totals significantly.
DROPPED CHANCE: JAMIE SMITH ON 5Mohammed Siraj found the edge of Jamie Smith early in England’s first innings, but KL Rahul dropped the straightforward catch at first slip. Smith went on to score a vital 51 off 56 balls — a contribution that would haunt India later.PANT’S RUN-OUTWhen Pant and Rahul came together on Day 3, India were still 242 runs behind. The duo stitched a superb 141-run stand to pull India back into the contest. However, a miscommunication just before lunch led to Pant’s run-out for 74 while trying to give Rahul the strike. The momentum stalled — and Rahul was dismissed shortly after.
COLLAPSE FROM 376/6 TO 387 ALL OUTIndia appeared in control at 376/6 with Jadeja and Nitish Reddy set. But a sudden collapse saw the final four wickets fall for just 11 runs. That inability to push ahead allowed England back into the game.MORNING MAYHEM ON DAY 5The final day began with promise. Pant got going quickly, flicking Archer for a boundary and charging down the track for another. But Archer responded by bowling him with a perfect delivery. Stokes then trapped Rahul lbw, and Sundar departed without scoring. Chris Woakes dismissed Reddy with a beauty just before lunch, leaving India hanging by a thread.Jadeja tried to steer the ship with a masterclass in temperament, but the lack of support ultimately proved costly.England held their nerve, showed patience, and found the breakthroughs just when they needed them. For India, it was a case of being so close, yet so far — and for Jadeja, a valiant knock left unfinished.