NEW DELHI: India pacer Mohammed Siraj broke his silence following the gut-wrenching loss at Lord’s in the third Test, sharing an emotional post on social media. While he impressed with the ball—taking four wickets across both innings—it was his determined effort with the bat that stood out during India’s dramatic final stand.Siraj partnered with Ravindra Jadeja in a gritty 10th-wicket effort that stretched beyond the Tea break on Day 5, offering India a glimmer of hope in their 193-run chase. The fast bowler faced 30 deliveries and scored 4 runs in a valiant 23-run stand with Jadeja, whose unbeaten 61 nearly took India home.The resistance ended in heartbreaking fashion when a Shoaib Bashir delivery ricocheted off Siraj’s bat and trickled back onto the stumps, ending India’s innings 22 runs short at 170 and bringing England a dramatic victory.The following day, Siraj shared a poignant Instagram post with five images—two showing the immediate aftermath of his dismissal, his disappointment evident as the weight of the loss settled in. His caption read: “Some matches stay with you, not for the outcome, but for what they teach.”The five-day clash was a gripping display of Test cricket. After England resumed at 58/4, their pace attack tightened the screws and reduced India to eight wickets down before lunch. But Jadeja stood firm, crafting a valiant 61* from 181 balls, holding the innings together.
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Should India have approached the chase differently?
Despite his resolve and some resistance from the lower order, India’s hopes were dashed when Siraj fell in the 75th over—his misfortune triggering England’s ecstatic celebrations. The match ended with India being bowled out for 170 in 74.5 overs, 22 runs shy of a miraculous win.
Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer were England’s standout bowlers with three wickets each, while Brydon Carse picked up two. Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir, who bowled despite a finger injury, took one apiece. England’s perseverance proved decisive on a day that coincided with the six-year anniversary of their 2019 ODI World Cup triumph at Lord’s.Both teams had earlier posted identical first-innings scores of 387, before England managed 192 in their second innings. In the high-pressure final session, Jadeja and Siraj rotated the strike and defended doggedly, inching closer to the target.But Bashir’s clever spin undid Siraj—his bat deflected the ball onto the stumps, bringing England a series lead of 2-1 and leaving India to reflect on what could have been.
