Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has picked Rishabh Pant’s dismissal in the first innings and Karun Nair’s wicket in the second as the key moments which swung the third Test in England’s favour.
England registered a narrow 22-run win to go 2-1 up in the five-match series, bowling India out for 170 in the chase of 193 at Lord’s.
“The turning point for me in this Test match was, first of all, Rishabh Pant’s dismissal (in the first innings),” Shastri said on ‘The ICC Review’.
He lauded England captain Ben Stokes’ “presence of mind” to effect Pant’s run out on 74 at the stroke of Lunch on Day 3.
“Ben Stokes… simply outstanding presence of mind to hit at the right end and pull it off on the stroke of Lunch. Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver’s seat,” he added.
Karun and KL Rahul had taken India to 41/1 in the second innings in their chase of 193 on the fourth day, but the former offered no shot to a delivery from pacer Brydon Carse to be adjudged leg before.
Shastri said Karun suffered from “huge lapse of concentration”.
“Having said that, again at 40/1 (in the second innings), I thought that was a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball, a nothing ball, to leave it a
nd open the door for England. I thought that the timing of that dismissal turned
things around.”
The former India skipper also opined that the Indian top order should have shown a little more prudence in the second innings.
“Because you saw when Siraj batted, when Bumrah batted, when Jadeja was batting, once the ball was 40 overs old, they hardly put a foot wrong.
“They were solid in defence and to bring that target down at Lunch, 82 to get, you thought in the next 10 minutes it would be done and dusted. But to bring that 82 or 83 to 22 was a massive achievement.
“So, it just goes to show that (if) the top order had just been a little tougher and mentally stronger on Day 4, towards the end, this game would have been India’s,” he added.
Shastri said India have the wherewithal to bounce back into the series.
“It (the Lord’s Test) reminded me so much of the Test match in 2021 (at the Lord’s when Shastri was the head coach). Only on that occasion, it was India who batted first. Scores were very similar, 300... 300 and then a collapse in the second innings. At that time, India won.”
This time it was England.
“But a fascinating series and two more to go. Anything can happen. India can
bounce back straight away and if that happens, The Oval (final Test) will be a thriller,” he noted.
“Fifteen days in the series, it’s been riveting stuff. And at times, I think India could have been 3-0 up. A little bit of luck, India could have been 3-0 up.”
The fourth Test between the two sides will begin at Manchester on July 23.
However, Shastri was generous in his praise of England and their captain Stokes.
“You have to compliment England. When the going got tough, those moments they seized. And when they saw an opening in the door, they just banged their door down.
“There was hardly anything on that surface, and if you had lost two wickets less the previous day I think India would have chased that down,” he said.
India closed Day 4 at Lord’s at a wobbly 58/4. Most of the credit for India’s collapse should go to Stokes and the way he marshalled his resources.
“Stokes bowling those spells, I knew something was coming at Edgbaston (second Test) because he had something back there.
“He wanted fuel in the tank for Lord’s and he showed it on the last day. Eight overs, nine-over spells. At one stage, 10 overs towards the end to clinch it for England,” Shastri said.
