India faced a decisive defeat at the hands of England in the 3rd Test of the five-match series at Lord's, pushing them into a must-win scenario for the upcoming 4th Test in Manchester. Chasing a target of 193 runs, the Indian side was bowled out for 170, falling short by 22 runs. This victory allowed England to take a 2-1 lead in the fiercely contested series, largely attributed to their relentless bowling attack, spearheaded by Jofra Archer, and the shrewd leadership of captain Ben Stokes.

Following India's heartbreaking loss, discussions arose regarding critical missed opportunities and the absence of key players. Australia women's team captain, Alyssa Healy, sparked debate with a pointed remark on the "Willow Talk" podcast, suggesting India sorely missed the presence of former skipper Virat Kohli. Healy implied that Kohli, who had retired from red-ball cricket shortly before the series, would have thrived under the pressure of saving a Test match in such a challenging environment, stating, "He would have been absolutely frothing to be a part of that."

The Test match itself was rife with tense and heated moments, underscoring the high stakes involved. Indian skipper Shubman Gill openly confronted England opener Zak Crawley over alleged time-wasting tactics, uttering, "Get some balls, show f---ing balls!" Gill also became the subject of a sarcastic jab from Ben Duckett, who quipped that Gill had already made 600 runs in the series, referring to his subdued performance with the bat (16 and 6 runs across both innings) in the Lord's Test.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri provided a detailed post-match analysis, pinpointing two pivotal moments that, in his view, cost India the game. The first crucial turning point, according to Shastri, was Rishabh Pant's run-out dismissal on 74 runs just before lunch on Day 3. This moment, orchestrated by Ben Stokes' exceptional presence of mind, shifted momentum back to England and denied India a crucial lead after both teams posted identical first innings totals of 387. Shastri emphasized, "Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver's seat."

The second critical lapse identified by Shastri occurred early in India's second innings when Karun Nair misjudged a straightforward delivery at 40/1. Shastri described it as "a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball, a nothing ball, to leave it and open the door for England." He further commended England for their ability to seize these openings, stating, "When the going got tough, those moments they seized. And when they saw an opening in the door, they just banged their door down."Shastri concluded that a stronger top-order performance on Day 4 could have secured the victory for India.

Photo Credit: The New York Times

Adding to the pre-match narrative, India's Washington Sundar had expressed extreme confidence in a media interaction, stating that India "will" win and go 2-1 up in the series. England batter Jos Buttler later reacted to this statement, questioning Sundar's words and suggesting such confidence might have inadvertently fired up the English side. While Stuart Broad defended Sundar, attributing his comments to fatigue, the irony was not lost as Sundar himself was dismissed for a duck in the second innings by Jofra Archer, sealing India's defeat despite Ravindra Jadeja's marathon effort to chase down the target.

The series, which Shastri described as 'fascinating,' now heads to its penultimate fixture with India under immense pressure to deliver a win and keep their hopes alive for a series victory.