2015 Galle. 2018 Edgbaston. 2024 Wankhede and now 2025 Lord's. India was haunted by demons of the past as the team failed to chase a gettable target, missing out on the 193-run target in the Lord's Test against England to go 1-2 down in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Starting the fifth and last day of the third Test of the five-match series, the challenge for England and India was straightforward. The home team required six wickets and Shubman Gill's India required 135 runs. No one, however, could have imagined such an abject defeat of these dimensions as India was bowled out in the second session on Day 5, giving England a 22-run victory.
Ravindra Jadeja (61*), Jasprit Bumrah (5) and Mohammed Siraj (4) gave it their all as the trio played their hearts out to enable India mount a brilliant comeback. England, though, pulled out a rabbit from the hat when it seemed like India would grab a historic victory. Ecstasy was in the English camp but there was agony in India's. Jadeja persisted in doing his best, but ultimately Siraj's dismissal read a sorry tale for the visitors.
While India's fortunes on the third day depended a great deal on KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, as the two had added 141 runs for the fourth wicket in the first innings, England had already prepared for Rishabh Pant, who was suffering from a hand injury sustained while being hit in the first innings while keeping wickets.
Jofra Archer sent Rishabh Pant's (9) stumps cartwheeling as England finally got their first wicket of the day. Many wondered why not have Ben Stokes begin with Brydon Carse, but Archer justified the England captain's decision. A couple of overs later, Ben Stokes stood up and made it his personal mission to get rid of India's top batter, KL Rahul (39).
Stokes covered KL Rahul bang on the pads as the ball came back sharply in. The on-field umpire didn't lift his finger, but Stokes was sure and reviewed it. The replays indicated that indeed the ball had hit the pad first, and three reds testified to the fall of the sixth wicket for India.
Just in the next over, Jofra Archer claimed his second wicket of the morning as he dismissed Washington Sundar for a four-ball zero back to the pavilion. Nitish Kumar Reddy came out to bat at No.9 and, with Ravindra Jadeja, he displayed some application in the middle.
But Jadeja and Nitish Reddy combined a blockathon as runs were in short supply. Just on the brink of the lunch break, England terminated the 30-run eighth-wicket stand as Chris Wookes dismissed the right-hander for 13 off 53 deliveries.
As the second session began, no one could have imagined that Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah would string out a partnership for 132 balls. But that is exactly what they did as the two added 37 runs for the ninth wicket. But the moment India began to make a comeback, Ben Stokes rose to the occasion and stood up for his side as he gave the vital breakthrough, dismissing Jasprit Bumrah's 54-ball stay during which he made five runs. Siraj partnered Ravindra Jadeja, and together they continued to chip away at the total. Shoaib Bashir, though, managed to pick the final wicket to give England a historic 22-run victory.
The Lord's Test got underway with England skipper Ben Stokes taking everyone by surprise by opting to bat first. The home team scored 387 runs thanks to Joe Root's 37th Test century. Jasprit Bumrah joined the Lord's Honours Board as he came back with five wickets.
Following both teams' first innings, nothing distinguished India and England. The two sides recorded the same score in the first innings 387. It then became a second-innings game. For India, KL Rahul was back with a century in the first innings.
Tempers flared in the last session of Day 3 when India skipper Shubman Gill came hard at England opener Zak Crawley for intentionally wasting time. The series really came alive in that one moment, and one could well imagine what the last two days of the Test would be like.
India arrived guns blazing with the ball on Day 4 as Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah unleashed destruction with the red cherry. Ben Stokes and Joe Root attempted to aid England in posting a score in excess of 200, but it was not to be. Washington Sundar was thrown out of the syllabus for England as the off-spinner came back with four wickets, including the major scalps of Joe Root and Jamie Smith.
England finally folded for 192, leaving India with a target of 193. In the last session of Day 4, England came back with four wickets as Brydon Carse and Stokes brought on fury.
The hosts then refused to give up on the third day despite Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy's fighting effort. England now lead the five-match series 2-1, and the fourth Test in Manchester will be a cracker.
