In a result that defied modern Test cricket trends, India fell 22 runs short while chasing 193 against England at Lord’s on Day 5 of the third Test. Despite a gritty 61* from Ravindra Jadeja, the visitors were bowled out for 170, handing England a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.What makes this defeat even more painful is the statistical rarity of such an outcome. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Of the last 57 instances where a team was set a target below 200 in men’s Tests (since mid-2019), 54 ended in successful chases. One was a draw. The remaining two were both Indian defeats: against New Zealand in Mumbai (2021, target 147) and now, at Lord’s.India resumed Day 5 on 58/4 with a modest target in sight but were rocked early. KL Rahul, who scored 39, was trapped lbw by Ben Stokes, a decision reversed on review, shifting the momentum firmly in England’s favour.
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Rishabh Pant, visibly struggling with a finger injury, battled briefly before being cleaned up by a searing Jofra Archer delivery. Archer, back in Test whites after four years, was sensational, picking up three second-innings wickets to cap a five-wicket match haul. Stokes, too, finished with five for the game in a tireless display.Jadeja’s resistance was remarkable. The all-rounder forged late partnerships with Bumrah and Siraj, dragging India within striking distance. But the lower order eventually folded, and so did India’s hopes.Earlier, both sides had posted identical 387-run first innings totals. But England’s gritty 192 in the second innings proved decisive on a tricky, deteriorating surface.As India now turn their focus to the fourth Test at Old Trafford from July 23, they’ll carry not just a 2-1 series deficit, but also the sting of a missed opportunity in a chase that, statistically, should have been theirs.
