In a gripping final session at Lord’s, India’s tail-end batters gave fans a glimmer of hope in what looked like a lost cause. Chasing 194 for victory in the third Test, India were down and nearly out after a dramatic top-order collapse. But what followed was a stirring act of defiance from the unlikely duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who stood firm alongside Ravindra Jadeja to take the fight deep into the day.

Bumrah, who had registered three ducks earlier in the series, gritted his way to a brave four from 54 deliveries, fending off a barrage of short balls before finally falling to a mistimed pull off Ben Stokes. Siraj, equally resolute, survived 30 balls and showed unexpected calm before an unfortunate dismissal ended both his stay and India’s hopes of sealing back-to-back Test wins in England for the first time.

Despite the modest scorecard numbers, the lower order’s resistance had fans and experts on edge. Watching intently from home was Ravichandran Ashwin, who shared a light-hearted moment from the tense final phase.

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“My father was convinced Siraj would win it with three sixes,” Ravichandran Ashwin chuckled on his YouTube channel. “I told him to stop joking! But such was the belief after seeing how Jadeja was holding one end like a wall.”

Ashwin praised Ben Stokes’ lion-hearted effort, calling it “unbelievable.” The England skipper bowled two marathon spells—9.2 overs in the morning and another 10 after lunch—relentlessly targeting Bumrah with hostile bouncers.

“Jadeja was India’s fortress, but at the other end, it was Stokes who stood tall for England,” Ravichandran Ashwin said.

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Siraj’s valiant defence finally gave way when Shoaib Bashir, playing through pain, delivered a telling blow, claiming the final wicket before being ruled out of the rest of the series due to injury.