We have just been treated to an absolute thriller of a third Test between England and India at Lord’s, with Ben Stokes’ side winning it by 22 runs. Here are our top 6 moments of an absorbing Test.
1. Root Rules Lord’s
Embed from Getty ImagesEngland’s best batsman has scored runs in every ground he has played at; however, the Home Of Cricket has been his favourite hunting ground, with eight Test centuries.
This is the most by any player at Lord’s, and it was quite an important century, to take England to a decent first innings score of 387.
It was a typical Test match innings, which created a sense of calm in the dressing room, especially when the hosts lost two back-to-back wickets of Ollie Pope at 153-3, and 172-4.
Root’s 88-run partnership with Ben Stokes stifled any momentum India had with the ball and restored some confidence in England’s batting.
Can he continue to pile on the runs through the remainder of the series?
2. Back-To-Back Lord’s Tons For Rahul
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the positives for India in this Series has been the form of their most experienced batsman.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 2021, he became the 10th Indian player to score a century at Lord’s.
Fast forward four years, and he now has another century at this iconic sporting venue.
What makes Rahul such a high-class player is his composure while batting.
He rarely ever gets flustered by the match situation and goes about his business with the bat in a calm manner.
Looking at his dismissal today, he seemed to be tentative with his footwork and his feet were pinned to the crease.
It was a sharp delivery from Stokes that jagged back at him, but this was one of the rare occasions where his feet weren’t quite set to react to Stokes’ sharp inswinger.
3. Welcome Back Jofra Archer!
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a four-year absence, it was good to see the Sussex speedster back to full tilt with his terrifying pace.
Getting the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first innings, followed by Rishabh Pant in the second, was pivotal, as both those players have the potential to take the game away from the opposition.
For England to have Archer back is like gold dust, as he can pick up wickets, even on the flattest of pitches.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe wicket of Rishabh Pant is a classic example of why he is such a crucial asset for England.
Had Pant survived the opening spell of Archer, we may have seen a different result on the cards.
As the next Test starts on the 23rd, you would expect him to feature at Old Trafford, due to its extra pace and bounce, but we will have to wait and see.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see the tall paceman fit, firing, and ready to go, especially with a big Ashes Series that lies ahead this winter.
4. Ball Change?
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the most bizarre incidents of the game occurred on the second day, when India picked up three quick wickets, leaving England at 271-7. The team then changed the ball, which was swinging around corners, to one that was doing absolutely nothing.
Why would you do that?
You have a team on the mat, with a relatively new ball that is doing all sorts of things. Get on with the game and throw them out.
Shubman Gill’s complaining to the umpires about the ball was unnecessary and somewhat immature.
What’s also surprising is the fact that somebody like Bumrah didn’t go up to Gill saying, ‘ Skip, it’s fine, let’s get on with it.’
Had India kept bowling with the same ball, they may have been able to restrict the hosts to under 300.
There’s a saying that ‘don’t change something that isn’t broken,’ but the Indians did not heed that advice, and were made to pay for it.
5. Stokes Leads From The Front
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen England look down and out, it is always their captain who comes up with a moment of inspiration that turns the game on its head.
Rahul and Pant were forging a partnership, which looked to be taking the game away from England, until he pulled off a sensational piece of fielding to run Pant out.
Indian fans will be saying, ‘What was the need to take that run anyway/’, but hats off to the England captain for reacting so swiftly to the situation.
Even when it came to his bowling changes, Jadeja was forging partnerships with Bumrah and Siraj to get India over the line.
He could have gone for Brydon Carse or himself to finish off the match with Archer, but he made the brave decision to go with the spin of Shoaib Bashir, which paid off in the end, as he took the final wicket to win them the game.
This sums up the kind of leader Stokes is and the amount of faith he has in his players.
That’s what makes England such a dangerous side: the fact that they have a leader who isn’t afraid to risk losing a game to win it.
6. Jadeja And Tail Almost Pull Off Miraculous Chase
Embed from Getty ImagesWith all that took place on the final day, you have to also give credit to India’s star All-rounder, whose 61 not out almost chased down the target of 192.
India looked down and out when Bumrah arrived at the crease at 112-8, but he managed to forge a partnership of 35 with Jadeja to give India a ray of hope of winning the game.
That ray of hope looked even brighter when Siraj managed to stick around with Jadeja to take them to 170.
However, it seemed that luck was not on their side, as Siraj’s back-foot defence was played too softly, which meant that the ball trickled onto the stumps and knocked the bails off.
Siraj is an emotionally driven cricketer who gives his heart and soul into making his team win, and as soon as the bails fell off the stump, he looked like a broken man.
But he should hold his head high as he reflects on the game, as his two crucial wickets of Jamie Smith and Carse prevented England from extending their first innings score to 400 and beyond.
This would have possibly given England a first innings lead, as both sides ended up with the same score once their first innings had been completed.
So these are the top six moments of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s.
Send us your thoughts on World In Sport