England go 2–1 up in the series as India fall 22 runs short after nerve-jangling final-day drama

England held their nerve to edge out India by 22 runs in a five-day thriller at Lord’s, sealing a 2–1 series lead as Shoaib Bashir bowled Mohammed Siraj late on the final day in a gripping finale that swung with every ball.

Exactly six years after the “barest of margins” World Cup win at the same ground, fate again smiled on England. This time, a deflection off Siraj’s bat sent the ball trickling back onto his stumps. The bail dropped. Lord’s erupted. India’s valiant chase of 193 fell heartbreakingly short.

The contest was dominated by grit and edge-of-the-seat drama. Ravindra Jadeja, with a stoic 61 not out off 181 balls, stood tall for nearly five hours as India’s last hope. His defiance from 112 for eight at lunch turned what looked like a straightforward English win into a pulsating evening nail-biter.

But England’s persistence, spearheaded by Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, and Bashir, finally broke India’s resistance. Bashir, who fractured his finger earlier in the match, was ruled out of the remainder of the series — but not before producing the game’s most decisive moment.

Stokes, leading with warrior-like intensity, had a hand in every phase of the match — five wickets, 77 runs, a run-out, and an exhausting 24-over effort in India’s second innings. His fiery ten-over spell in the afternoon broke a crucial stand between Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, removing the latter via a mistimed top-edge that settled in Jonny Bairstow’s gloves.

Archer, playing his first Test in four years, bowled with genuine pace and menace. His 90mph rockets removed the dangerous Rishabh Pant — bowled through the gate for just 12 — and later snatched a one-handed return catch to dismiss Washington Sundar in a moment of pure brilliance.

India’s tail refused to wilt. Bumrah and Jadeja added 35 stubborn runs in a stand that soaked up over 25 overs. But when Bumrah fell, and Siraj entered, the crowd sensed the moment. Bashir, tossing up another off-spinner, tempted Siraj into a forward prod. A trickle. A dislodged bail. A series lead for England.

Earlier, England’s total of 387 in the first innings, built around Joe Root’s elegant century, had looked imposing on a sluggish pitch. India matched it with 387 of their own, thanks to KL Rahul’s composed 87 and handy lower-order runs. But their collapse in the second innings — reduced to 112 for eight by lunch on day five — appeared terminal.

Yet Jadeja refused to yield. Blocking with monk-like discipline, he batted session after session, even as wickets tumbled around him. It was a lone, heroic stand against mounting odds. In the end, even he could not conjure the miracle.

England’s adaptability proved crucial. Gone was the carefree “Bazball” — replaced with grit, patience, and strategic control. Stokes’ calculated decisions, from backing Archer at the Pavilion End to delaying the second new ball, kept England in the hunt.

India’s own captain Shubman Gill, leading in the absence of Rohit Sharma, showed leadership promise but will rue a match that slipped through his team’s fingers. Despite Jasprit Bumrah’s 12 wickets in two Tests and Jadeja’s masterclass, India head to Old Trafford 2–1 down.

Both sides now pause for breath after two back-to-back epics. But for England, the memory of this Lord’s classic — decided by the finest of deflections and the last ounce of fight — will endure as one of the game’s great final-day finishes.