ENG vs IND 2025, 3rd Test - Talking Points & Who Said What?
England went 2-1 up in the series by winning the third Test at Lord's.
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In the thrilling third Test at Lord’s, England clinched a 22-run win over India to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. Chasing 193, India resumed Day 5 on 58/4 and needed a strong stand from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. But England’s pace duo, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, broke through the batting line-up.
Ravindra Jadeja fought till the end, remaining unbeaten on 61. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Jasprit Bumrah played fighting knocks, with Bumrah playing 55 balls. Even Mohammed Siraj showed remarkable fight in the final session, but with just 23 runs needed, Siraj was bowled by Shoaib Bashir, who was playing with a broken finger, to seal the match for England. This win lifts England to second in the WTC standings with a PCT of 66.67, while India slips to fourth with 33.33.
Talking Points
1. Ravindra Jadeja's resilient knock goes in vain
India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja delivered a brilliant knock on Day 5, but with wickets falling around him and less support from the other end, Jadeja notched up his fourth successive half-century under pressure. However, his knock went in vain as England ended on the winning side. His 132-ball partnership with Jasprit Bumrah and later with Mohammed Siraj, Jadeja made sure to respect the good balls and capitalize on scoring opportunities.
2. Ben Stokes' marathon spell in the morning session of Day 5:
Ben Stokes produced a marathon spell on the final day at Lord’s, challenging the Indian batters early on the final morning. In his 24-over spell, Stokes bagged three wickets and kept his economy of 2.00. His victims included KL Rahul, Akash Deep, and Jasprit Bumrah. He ended the day with five wickets to his name and was awarded the player of the match for his efforts. While Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse picked wickets from one end, Stokes kept the pressure from the other.
3. Shoaib Bashir hammered the final nail in the coffin with a broken finger:
Shoaib Bashir produced a heroic finish at Lord’s, bowling with a broken finger to seal England’s narrow win over India. The off-spinner had injured his left little finger on Day 4 while attempting a return catch from Ravindra Jadeja. Despite the pain, Bashir returned on Day 5 with England needing one wicket and delivered when it mattered the most. Bowling to Mohammed Siraj, Bashir tossed it up outside off. Siraj defended it, but the ball spun back in and rolled off the bat’s face, and hit the leg stump, dislodging the bail and handing England the win.
Who Said What?
Ben Stokes (England captain and Player of the Match):
Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning, six years ago now to the day. He played a major role and I had a feeling he'd do something special and crack the game open. A bit of discussion, Brydon had an amazing spell, but I had a gut feeling that Jof's going to do something in his first game back. Every time he's announced on the tannoy, the ground erupts and when the speeds go up on the screen, the feeling changes. I've taken myself to some pretty dark places, but if bowling your country to a Test match win doesn't get you excited, I don't know what does. Bashir, it was written in the stars to take that last wicket. An absolute warrior. With what was on the line... I was cooked yesterday, but the game was on the line, nothing was stopping me. I'm an allrounder, I get four opportunities to influence the game, and if one thing doesn't click... I'd like to score more runs, but you don't have a chance to worry about anything. In the middle of the spell, so I was pretty pumped up. Important position at extra cover, and in my peripheral I saw Rishabh stutter. One of the great feelings, when you let go of the ball and know it's going to hit the stumps. Always going to be the way, two very good teams going toe to toe. Not going to lie, looking forward to lying in my bed for four days."
Shubman Gill (India captain):
Extremely proud, as close as Test cricket gets. Pretty confident this morning, plenty of batting left this morning, we needed a couple of partnerships in the top order, we couldn't do that, they played better than us. But there's always hope. Target wasn't massive, one partnership and back in the game. Jaddu very experienced, no messages, just wanted him and the tail to keep batting. A lead in first innings would have been crucial for us. Things turned quickly, last hour we could have applied ourselves better, and this morning they came up with plans. The series score doesn't reflect how we've played. You'll get to know soon.
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