England takes a 2-1 series lead after defeating India by an exciting 22 runs at Lord's

On Monday, the final day of the Lord's Test, England overcame India by an exhilarating 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The tense match came to a dramatic close when Indian tailender Mohammed Siraj was dismissed in agonizing fashion — defending a spinning delivery from Shoaib Bashir that rolled back onto his stumps.

India, chasing a target of 193 for victory, began the day in deep trouble at 58-4 in their second innings. By lunch, they were reeling at 112-8, with defeat looking inevitable. However, Ravindra Jadeja’s gritty unbeaten knock of 61 from 181 balls gave India a glimmer of hope as he tried to shepherd the tail toward an improbable victory. India ultimately failed, being bowled out for 170.

England’s bowling attack, led by a fiery Jofra Archer and skipper Ben Stokes, dismantled India’s top and middle order in the morning session. Archer, returning to Test cricket after four and a half years, impressed with a match haul of five wickets, including 3-55 in the second innings. Stokes bowled tirelessly, delivering two long spells — nine overs in the morning (1-18) and 10 straight overs in the afternoon (1-14), removing key batter Lokesh Rahul and breaking the Jadeja-Bumrah partnership that had started to frustrate England.

India’s innings collapsed early in the day with Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar falling within the first 40 minutes. Still needing 81 runs at lunch, India relied heavily on Jadeja, who battled on while carefully shielding the tailenders. He and Jasprit Bumrah added 35 crucial runs in a patient 22-over stand before Bumrah was dismissed for 5 runs from 54 balls, skying a Stokes bouncer to mid-on.

Jadeja continued to resist, attempting to protect No. 11 Mohammed Siraj and move a little bit closer to the target.  The pair added seven more runs in five overs after tea. But with the new ball looming, Siraj was bowled in unfortunate fashion, leaving Jadeja stranded.

England’s win came as a strong response after their heavy defeat by 336 runs at Edgbaston. Just a week earlier, they had successfully chased 371 at Headingley, and this latest win at Lord’s underscores their resilience in the tightly contested series.