‘Jadeja and the India tailenders showed so much character and fight — they did not deserve to be on the losing side’
Test cricket at its finest — drama, grit, heartbreak and respect.
The third Test at Lord’s had it all. England edged India by 22 runs in a match that went down to the final hour on Day 5, but the result told only part of the story.
What unfolded over five riveting days was a contest that reminded everyone why five-day cricket still holds magic.
From Ravindra Jadeja’s stoic resistance to Jofra Archer’s fire and the emotional collapse of Mohammed Siraj at the end, this was a Test for the ages — one that even veteran voices like Nasser Hussain hailed as the best in recent memory.
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, along with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, batted their hearts out but fell agonizingly short on the final day. Words escaped Siraj as he slumped to his knees with his head down, trying to come to terms with being bowled by Shoaib Bashir.
England players erupted in jubilation, sprinting towards Bashir and lifting him in celebration of a memorable 22-run victory, as India fell short in its attempt to chase down a 193-run target. Over the course of five days, emotions ran high and tempers flared, making it a Test to remember.
"That was a great advert for five-day Test cricket. It was hard-fought, at times feisty, but in the end played within the spirit of the game. You saw at the end there the England players going up to the two India players in the middle — a bit like 2005 when Andrew Flintoff went up to Brett Lee at the non-striker's end at Edgbaston," Hussain said on Sky Sports.
After an unprecedented collapse before lunch, Jadeja fought with his trademark grit, while Bumrah displayed remarkable determination to give India a faint glimmer of hope. That hope faded when Bumrah succumbed to temptation and ballooned a catch to substitute fielder Sam Cook.
But Siraj's resilience and Jadeja's persistence reignited India's aspirations before they had to swallow the bitter pill of reality. Jadeja walked back unbeaten with a hard-fought 61 off 181 deliveries to his name.
"Jadeja and the India tailenders showed so much character and fight — they did not deserve to be on the losing side. That was the best five days of Test cricket I have seen in some time," Hussain reiterated.
Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik also praised Jadeja's "brilliant" effort to keep the Test alive despite running out of partners. For Karthik, the attitude shown by Siraj and Bumrah is something all of Indian cricket can learn from.
"I really enjoyed watching Ravindra Jadeja at the end. He was running out of partners but still had the mental resilience to keep going, over after over, without making an error. He batted brilliantly," Karthik said.
"The attitude of Bumrah and Siraj is something all of Indian cricket should learn from. They did not want to give up — they wanted to make a match out of it. They just kept pushing, prodding, and doing everything to stay in the game," he added.
With England now leading the series 2-1, both teams will head to Manchester for the fourth Test, where India will look to restore parity in this captivating five-match series.