New Delhi: Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 went in vain as England defeated India by 22 runs in a thriller to win the third Test between the two sides at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Monday. England produced an exceptional bowling display to successfully defend 192 runs by bowling India out for 170 in their second innings in what turned out to be an enthralling final day at the iconic venue.
Jadeja waged a lone battle for India with a gritty half-century and kept the visitors in the hunt till the very end. However, he failed to get them over the line as spinner Shoaib Bashir dismissed India’s no.11 Mohammed Siraj in the 75th over to seal an epic victory for England. The hosts went 2-1 up in the five-match series with their close victory at Lord’s.
With India losing wickets at regular intervals after resuming their innings from 58/4 on Day 5, Jadeja waged a lone battle from one end with one of the finest overseas knocks of his Test career. The all-rounder combined with tail-enders Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj to lift India from 112/8 to 170, taking the team closer to what could have been a famous victory.
Jadeja added 35 runs for the 9th wicket with Bumrah, who played excellent support with 5 off 54 deliveries, before sharing a 21-run stand with Siraj for the 10th wicket. The left-hander looked prime to take India home at one stage when the equation was brought down under 25, however, Siraj was played down after loosely defending a delivery from Bashir as Jadeja’s unbeaten 61 went in vain.
Nonetheless, the Indian all-rounder was hailed by many on X (Twitter) for his valiant knock under pressure, which nearly helped the team pull off an unlikely chase. Jadeja’s grit, passion and determination were praised as he proved why he remains one of the vital cogs in the Indian Test line-up despite being 36.
Fans laud Ravindra Jadeja for fighting knock in Lord’s Test:
It wasn’t easy. But it wasn’t over. Well fought Jadeja. pic.twitter.com/eTrov5GqeD
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) July 14, 2025
Irrespective of the result, this one is for the history books, Sir Ravindra Jadeja 🫡 pic.twitter.com/3ryU3NF7kB
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) July 14, 2025
Chin up Ravindra Jadeja, you gave your absolute best pic.twitter.com/ztaPkIPTMO
— Sergio (@SergioCSKK) July 14, 2025
We might have lost the match but respect for Ravindra Jadeja ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PZPj3MX84Z
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) July 14, 2025
Faught like a warrior
Well Played Ravindra Jadeja 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zUoimOlmQS
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) July 14, 2025
Resilience. Grit. Determination.
History will remember this fight, Jaddu. What an Absolute Champion 🛐 pic.twitter.com/mqCacU8EKD
— Vishakan Soundararajan (@Vishak_Sound) July 14, 2025
Ben Stokes bowls his heart out for England
While Jadeja turned out to be the lone warrior for India, captain Ben Stokes led from the front with the ball for England. Stokes bowled his heart out on Day 5 and bagged the Player of the Match award after taking 3/48 off his 24 overs in India’s second innings. The England skipper got the key wicket of settled Indian opener KL Rahul early in the morning session on Day 5 after Archer got rid of Rishabh Pant cheaply on 9.
Stokes dismissed Jasprit Bumrah at a crucial juncture to break the 35-run stand between him and Jadeja, shifting the momentum in England’s favour just when the game appeared to be slipping from their hands. Though Jadeja showed a stomach for a fight and staged a brilliant fight with the tail-enders, his efforts eventually didn’t prove enough as India fell short of the 193-run target.
With the 22-run victory, England are now 2-1 up in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and will be looking to seal the series when they lock horns with the visitors in the 5th Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, starting July 23.