India’s hopes of taking control of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy slipped through their fingers on the final day at Lord’s, as they fell short by 22 runs in a tense chase of 193. Bowled out for 170, the Indian batting unit crumbled under relentless pressure from England’s pace attack, led by Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.
Despite a spirited unbeaten 61 from Ravindra Jadeja and a valuable 39 by KL Rahul, the rest of the line-up faltered, with five of the top seven batters failing to cross double digits. The collapse left India reeling at 82 for 7 before a late resistance offered some hope but it wasn’t enough.
What made the defeat sting even more was how close the match was and how the pitch, though difficult, wasn’t entirely unplayable. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly shared his disappointment with the team’s performance, making it clear that the batters missed a golden opportunity.
According to Ganguly, Jadeja’s knock was proof that runs could be made even on a challenging surface. He expressed regret over the lack of application from the rest of the line-up, especially the top order, that includes players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, all of whom failed to make any meaningful contribution.
Sourav Ganguly emphasised that a chase of 193 should have been within reach given the batting firepower India possesses. He remarked that the team would be even more disappointed than him, considering the magnitude of the opportunity missed. Taking a 2-1 lead in the series would have shifted the momentum entirely in India’s favour but instead, England now hold the upper hand heading into the penultimate Test.
He further noted that had even one of India’s top-order batters shown the kind of resistance Ravindra Jadeja did, the result might have gone the other way. According to Ganguly, a bit more fight at the top could have sealed the game for India, underlining that the outcome wasn’t just about skill but about grit and temperament as well.
India now have over a week to regroup, recover and rethink their strategy before the fourth Test begins at Old Trafford on July 23. With the series now standing at 2-1 in England’s favour, the visitors have no room for further slip-ups if they want to keep their dreams of a series win alive.
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