ENG vs IND 2025: 'It's not too late, please come back' - Madan Lal urges Virat Kohli to reverse Test retirement

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal urged Virat Kohli to come out of his Test retirement only a day after the narrow defeat against England in the third Test at Lord’s. India were in a great position to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, but were unable to clinch the match.

Kohli announced his retirement from red-ball cricket just ahead of the England tour, sending shockwaves across the entire cricketing fraternity. Lal noted that there is nothing wrong in reversing the decision and requested the veteran batter to share his experiences with the youngsters for the betterment of Indian cricket in the near future. Lal also noted that no one was as passionate as Virat Kohli towards the Indian team.

“Virat Kohli's passion for Indian cricket was unmatched. It's my wish that he should come back to Test cricket after retirement. There's nothing wrong with returning. If not in this series, he should make a comeback in the next (match),” Madan Lal told CricketPredicta as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“From my point of view, he should reverse his retirement. Because he can easily play for 1–2 years. It's about you passing your experience to the youngsters. You just left it. It's not too late. Please come back,” he added.

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Speaking of the third Test at Lord's, England gained a 2-1 lead in the five-match Test series after a hard-fought victory at Lord’s. Joe Root anchored their first innings with a classy 104, guiding England to a total of 387. Jasprit Bumrah led India’s bowling effort with a brilliant five-wicket haul.

India responded strongly, matching England’s score of 387, thanks to a calm and composed century from KL Rahul. However, England stumbled in their second innings, managing only 192 as Washington Sundar wreaked havoc with four wickets. In a rare sight, the Indian attack bowled seven English batters.

Chasing 193 on a deteriorating Day 5 pitch, India found the going tough. Despite the challenging conditions, Ravindra Jadeja held his ground with a resilient unbeaten 61 from 181 balls. He stitched together vital partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, but the English bowlers ultimately proved too good, bundling India out for just 170.

With this victory, England now have the upper hand heading into the fourth Test, which begins on July 23 at Old Trafford, Manchester. While England will look to clinch the series, India will be eager to stage a comeback and level it at 2-2.