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On Monday, July 14, Shubman Gill-led Team India went down against England in the crucial third Test at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. After leveling the scores in their first innings, India restricted England at 192, thus getting a target of 193 to put a chase and go up in the series, but they failed, and registered a 22-run defeat. While the game hung balance until the final day, quick wickets early in the opening session, denied them the victory.
Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul’s wickets were the turning point in the game as a lot was on them to complete the chase. While Washington Sundar also fell to Jofra Archer’s brilliant caught and bowled attempt, Nitish Kumar Reddy also could not do much with the bat. Ravindra Jadeja, once again stood as a lone warrior, playing a gritty unbeaten 61-run knock, but failed to take India home.
Sunil Gavaskar points out factors of India’s crushing defeat against England at Lord’s
With England bowling out India at 170 in 74.5 overs, former India captain and one of the greats of the game, Sunil Gavaskar came hard on the Indian team. Speaking on Sony Sports, Gavaskar felt that battlers’ inability to build up a partnership hit them hard. “A partnership of 60-70 would have made a difference. India never got that. You could say that Jadeja could have taken the odd chance and not necessarily the aerial route when Joe Root and Shoaib Bashir was bowling. But full marks to him (Jadeja)," Sunil Gavaskar said.
However, the result might have not gone in India’s favour like the Headingley Test, they will hope to bounce back and take the fourth Test, taking the series into the decider. Speaking of the series, with three Tests done and dusted and the result hanging in favour of England, the fourth Test is set to be played from July 23 onwards at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, followed by the final Test at Kennington Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.
