Despite a gallant lower-order fightback led by Ravindra Jadeja, India fell just 22 runs short in a thrilling third Test against England at Lord’s, going 1-2 down in the five-match series. But even as England celebrated a hard-fought win, all eyes turned to India captain Shubman Gill, who chose to stay tight-lipped on Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the fourth Test in Manchester.
Score: India vs England 3rd Test"You will get to know about it soon," Gill said with a smile at the post-match presentation when asked about Bumrah’s potential inclusion, keeping fans and analysts guessing.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler and the world’s top-ranked Test pacer, took a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the Lord’s Test. He contributed with the bat - facing 54 balls for a crucial 5 runs, and putting up a 35-run ninth-wicket partnership with Jadeja that brought India agonisingly close to a famous win.
Gill, reflecting on the narrow defeat, expressed pride in the team’s effort. “Five days of hard-fought cricket and it comes down to the last session, last wicket. Tremendously proud of the effort,” he said. “I was pretty confident about the chase, especially with plenty of batting left. But England kept attacking and we couldn’t string together a couple of 50-run partnerships in the top order.”
India were reeling at 112 for 8 when Jadeja and Bumrah began their rescue act. Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 - his fourth consecutive half-century of the series - and the resistance shown by the tail had Lord’s on edge. After Bumrah’s dismissal, Mohammed Siraj batted bravely before being bowled by Shoaib Bashir, sealing India’s fate at 170 all out.
“We knew if we got a lead of 80-100 in the first innings, it would have made the chase on day five really difficult for them,” Gill admitted. “Even in the morning, we were hoping for just one 50-run stand in the top order. That would’ve made things easier.”
While praising Jadeja’s composure, Gill noted: “He is very experienced. I didn’t want to give him any message. I just wanted him and the tail-enders to bat as long as possible.”
The skipper also acknowledged moments where India lost the initiative: “I think in the last one hour yesterday, we could have applied ourselves better, especially the last two wickets that fell.”
Gill struck a hopeful tone for the remainder of the series: “Sometimes, the series scorecard doesn’t reflect how well you’ve played. We’ve played some really good cricket, and I think it’s going to be an even more exciting series from here on.”
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