India find themselves trailing 2-1 in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after a nail-biting 22-run defeat at Lord’s. Chasing a modest target of 193 on a challenging final-day surface, India suffered a familiar batting collapse. Ravindra Jadeja, however, stood tall amid the ruins, crafting a gritty unbeaten half-century, but his efforts fell short as England sealed the win late on Day 5.
Unlike the largely docile tracks in the first two Tests, the Lord’s pitch offered plenty of assistance to the bowlers, especially the seamers. There was consistent lateral movement, variable bounce, and enough in the pitch to keep the fast bowlers in the game right until the final session. Both teams had their moments, but it was England who held their nerve better.
The break between the third and fourth Test is a generous one—eight days of recovery, reflection, and planning. The fourth Test will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, where the surface could again prove influential. Former England player and pundit David Lloyd had a peek at the pitch and shared his early impressions.
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“I’ve been at Emirates Old Trafford and had a sneak preview of the pitch. At the moment, it is emerald green but don’t worry. All of that grass will be off by next week,” David Lloyd wrote in his Daily Mail column.
Interesting from Harmison on Old Trafford pitch: “Don’t think we’re going to play on a pitch any better than Lord’s. Traditionally, when it was the other way around, OT was fast, bouncy. Some of the results have been a little bit like Edgbaston this year—really slow, turgid.” 🤔
— Amar Sohal (@sohalamarsingh) July 15, 2025
Lloyd also believes it’s high time India unleashes Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist spinner who has been on the bench for the first three Tests.
“It should be easy-paced to start with, but we will get another five-day pitch and a result. India must play Kuldeep Yadav. Fingers crossed, the weather behaves—there’s even a hosepipe ban up north!” he added.
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Earlier in the Lord’s Test, England posted 387 in the first innings, thanks to key fifties from Brydon Carse and Jamie Smith. India matched that total with KL Rahul’s ton and vital contributions from Pant and Jadeja. However, a Sundar-led bowling effort then dismissed England for 192 in their second innings, setting up the tense finale.
