India lost the third Test by 22 runs at the iconic Lords Cricket Ground as England won the match from jaws of defeat. Now the home team has 2-1 lead in the series and now they will be looking forward to seal the series with another win in fourth Test. For India Ravindra Jadeja was the sole warrior who scored 61 runs and remained not out till the very end.
Here are the three reasons why India lost the third Test against England.
Complete Batting Collapse In Second Innings
One of the main reasons behind India’s defeat is what happened in the second innings. There was a complete batting collapse and India’s batting lineup faltered, before Ravindra Jadeja came to bat in, India struggled at 112/8 with the top and middle order failing badly. Ravindra Jadeja stood as the lone warrior scoring 61 not out and he stitched small partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
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Lack Of Top-Order Partnerships
India needed strong partnership at the top but it never came and the batters played rash shots under pressure and too much responsibility came on the lower order. Especially in the second innings, there were no top or middle order partnerships and the batting lineup completely dismantled. Only KL Rahul (39) and Ravindra Jadeja (61) scored 30+ runs and the target of 193 became impossible to chase after India’s batting collapse.
Many Extras Conceded: A Costly Oversight
One of the most overlooked factors in India’s defeat were the extras conceded by the bowlers as India gave away 31 extras in England’s first innings and a 32 in second which means 63 runs in total were gifted to England. It is very crucial to note that India lost by just 22 runs and every run was important and the extras given is also a factor in their loss against England despite the Indian Team being in favour of a win.
