England win third Test thriller against India at Lord’s to take 2-1 lead in series

Published July 14, 2025
England’s Shoaib Bashir (C) celebrates with England’s Chris Woakes and England’s Joe Root (L) as England win the test match on the fifth day of the third cricket test match between England and India at Lord’s cricket ground in London, UK, July 14. — AFP
England’s Shoaib Bashir (C) celebrates with England’s Chris Woakes and England’s Joe Root (L) as England win the test match on the fifth day of the third cricket test match between England and India at Lord’s cricket ground in London, UK, July 14. — AFP

England beat India by 22 runs to win a thrilling third Test at Lord’s on Monday as they went 2-1 up in a five-match series.

India were on the brink of defeat at 147-9, still needing a further 46 runs to reach a victory target of 193, when last man Mohammed Siraj joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle.

Nevertheless, the pair batted on until after tea on the final day to give India hope of an improbable win.

But with India in sight of just their fourth win in 20 Tests at Lord’s, Siraj played on to off-spinner Shoaib Bashir — off the field for much of the match with a finger injury — with the ball just dislodging the leg bail to the batsman’s visible despair.

Jadeja was left stranded on 61 not out — the all-rounder’s fourth consecutive fifty this series — after taking India to within sight of what would have been a stunning success before they were all out for 170.

England captain Ben Stokes bowled two lengthy spells today on his way to an innings return of 3-48, with fast bowler Jofra Archer — in his first Test after more than four years of injury-induced exile — taking 3-55.

India were all but beaten at 112-8 when tailender Jasprit Bumrah came out to bat immediately after lunch.

But Jadeja and Bumrah kept England at bay with a stubborn stand of 35 in 22 overs.

Bumrah, defying a run of four successive noughts in Test cricket, defended gamely while making five in 54 balls, only for his innings to end when he top-edged a pull off Stokes to substitute fielder Sam Cook at mid-on.

India were now 147-9 — a position that meant tea was delayed by 30 minutes.

But Jadeja, who overturned an lbw decision given against him on 26, went to fifty when a flashing cut off Stokes flew over the slips for the left-hander’s fourth four in 150 balls faced.

Shortly after tea, Archer struck Siraj a painful blow on the shoulder and it was not long before he fell to Bashir.

This match became a second-innings shoot-out after both teams made 387 in their first innings.

England then posted 192 before India slumped to 58-4 when Stokes bowled nightwatchman Akash Deep with what became the last ball of Sunday’s play.

Bumrah resistance

From 71-4 today, the match swung England’s way once more as India lost three wickets for 11 runs in collapsing to 82-7.

Bumrah, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, took 5-74 in England’s first innings after being rested from India’s dominant 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston.

But in 46 Tests before this match, he averaged a mere 6.77 with the bat.

Nevertheless, Bumrah got off the mark with an impressive pulled four off Archer through a vacant midwicket.

England thought they had dismissed Jadeja for 26 when he was given out on the field lbw to Chris Woakes. But Jadeja’s review indicated that impact had been made marginally outside off stump and the decision was overturned.

Next ball, the left-hander launched Woakes for a huge six over midwicket.

Earlier, Rishabh Pant — who only came into bat today following Deep’s departure — charged down the pitch to drive Archer for a typically aggressive four.

But two balls later, Archer, repeatedly topping the 90mph mark, bowled dangerman Pant for nine with a superb full-length delivery that clipped the top of off stump.

India were looking to KL Rahul to anchor their chase following the opener’s first-innings hundred.

But Rahul had added just six runs to his overnight 33 when he was lbw on review to lively medium-pacer Stokes after getting too far across his stumps.

Archer, who starred in England’s 2019 World Cup final win at Lord’s and made his Test debut at the northwest London ground that same season, then struck again.

The 30-year-old reduced India to 82-7 when he held a sharp one-handed catch to dismiss Washington Sundar for a duck.

Opinion

A changed world

A changed world

The phrase ‘security provider’ sounds impressive but there is little clarity on what it means for the country.

Editorial

Bannu attack
Updated 12 May, 2026

Bannu attack

The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
12 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
12 May, 2026

Buddhist heritage

THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...
New regional order
Updated 11 May, 2026

New regional order

The fact is that the US has only one true security commitment in the Middle East — Israel.
A better start
11 May, 2026

A better start

THE first 1,000 days of a child’s life often shape decades to come. In Pakistan, where chronic malnutrition has...
Widening gap
11 May, 2026

Widening gap

PAKISTAN’S monthly trade deficit ballooned to $4.07bn last month, its highest level since June 2022, further...