Jadeja’s 61* Sparks Drama in Lord’s 22-Run Loss
London: Ravindra Jadeja, India’s 36-year-old all-round maestro, stood resolute at cricket’s Mecca, Lord’s, on July 14, 2025, his bat a wand of defiance, conjuring a dream to chase 193. His unbeaten 61 off 181 balls nearly scripted a historic triumph for India’s youthful brigade, but a heart-stopping 22-run defeat handed England a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
The five-day Lord’s Test, unfurled from July 10 to 14, 2025, was a crucible of drama, with KL Rahul’s silken century, Rishabh Pant’s blazing 74, India’s tenacious tail, and Shoaib Bashir’s courageous final wicket weaving an epic that fans from Mumbai to Manchester will cherish. The tail’s spirited wag turned a fading chase into a nail-biting thriller, with broadcasts and X posts setting Indian and English hearts ablaze.
The hallowed turf of Lord’s buzzed with an electric pulse, as 30,000 fans—draped in India’s blue and England’s white—roared through every twist of this storied clash. The Long Room echoed with gasps as Jadeja’s deft defiance and Pant’s audacious sixes lit up the scoreboard, while England supporters chanted for Stokes, their talisman, whose fiery leadership stirred memories of Botham’s 1981 heroics.
On day five, the stands held their breath, smartphones capturing every ball as India’s tail defied the odds, turning the Home of Cricket into a cauldron of hope and heartbreak. X posts from fans, like @CricketFanatic’s “Jadeja’s fighting like a warrior! #IndvsEng,” amplified the drama, making this Test a global spectacle.
England, under Ben Stokes’ commanding presence, opted to bat on a sluggish Lord’s pitch, posting 387, anchored by Joe Root’s masterful 104 off 199 balls, his 37th Test century, reached on day two with a single off Akash Deep. Ollie Pope’s gritty 44 off 104 balls, ended by Jadeja via a sharp catch from substitute wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel (replacing Pant after a finger injury), added resolve. Jasprit Bumrah’s 5-74, including Stokes (24) and Root, earned him a place on the Lord’s Honours Board. India’s reply matched England’s 387, a rare Lord’s tie. KL Rahul’s 100 off 177 balls, a display of pure elegance, marked his second Test ton at the venue, making him the second Indian after Dilip Vengsarkar (three centuries: 1979, 1982, 1986) to score multiple hundreds at Lord’s. Vengsarkar’s 103 in 1979, rescuing India from 96-6 alongside Gundappa Viswanath’s 113, remains a Lord’s legend. Pant’s audacious 74 off 96 balls, smashing two sixes, and Jadeja’s tenacious 72 off 131 balls, with a soaring six off Root, forged a 141-run stand. Pant’s run-out was a cruel blow—Stokes’ laser throw from midwicket caught him short after a daring single, snuffing out a firebrand who could have shifted the tide. Chris Woakes (3-84) and Jofra Archer (2-52) pressed hard, but India’s young guns set the stage for a breathless chase.
England’s second innings folded for 192, setting India 193 to win. Washington Sundar’s career-best 4-22, dismissing Root (40 off 96) and Stokes (33), and Bumrah’s 2-38 rattled England’s core. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s early fall to Archer left India at 12-1. Shubman Gill, India’s 26-year-old captain, faltered, scoring 7 and 14 across both innings, his tentative footwork undone by Christopher Woakes and Brydon Carse. His struggles burdened the middle order, with Rahul (39) and nightwatchman Akash Deep clinging on at 58-4 by day four’s end, 135 runs shy. Stokes’ final ball, a searing yorker, shattered Deep’s stumps, igniting a fiery exchange as Gill vented at England’s time-wasting antics, setting a charged stage for the finale.
Day five at Lord’s was a pulse-pounding saga. India crumbled to 82-7, with Rahul (39 off 84) trapped lbw by Stokes’ nip-backer and Nitish Kumar Reddy (13 off 53) grafting alongside Jadeja. Jadeja’s 61* off 181 balls—his fourth consecutive 50+ score in England Tests—was a masterclass in resolve, blending a flicked four off Stokes with a lofted six over midwicket. His 40-run stand with Bumrah (29 balls), who battled bravely, kept the chase alive. Mohammed Siraj, struck on the shoulder by a vicious Jofra Archer bouncer, showed lion-hearted grit, grimacing yet standing firm to support Jadeja in a desperate final stand. His dismissal, playing down to Bashir’s turning delivery, which bounced back to remove the bail, was a gut-wrenching moment, costing India the Lord’s match as their miracle faded. Shoaib Bashir, England’s 21-year-old spinner, bowling through a broken finger’s agony, delivered poetic justice with that final blow, his bravery defying pain as Lord’s erupted in a roar. The tail’s defiance—Jadeja, Bumrah, and Siraj adding 53 runs for the last three wickets—stretched the chase to the final hour, turning a near-rout into a thriller that had fans on edge.
As the shadows lengthened over Lord’s, India’s tail-end warriors turned despair into defiance, evoking memories of India’s fabled 1979 chase at The Oval. Jadeja’s steely gaze, Bumrah’s dogged blocks, and Siraj’s pain-defying courage—despite Archer’s bruising bouncer—kept the dream of victory alive. Each run scratched out by the tail felt like a dagger to England’s hopes, with the crowd’s roars swelling as India crept within 22 runs. The tension was palpable, reminiscent of Kapil Dev’s 1986 heroics at this very ground, when India under his captaincy won for the first time at Lord’s. But Siraj’s fatal misjudgment against Bashir snuffed out the fairy tale, leaving Indian fans heartbroken yet proud. This tail-driven saga, shared across social media like @BCCI’s “Jadeja and Siraj fight till the end! #Lord’sTest,” cemented the match as a classic for cricket lovers .
Milestones lit up the Lord’s match. Jadeja became the second Indian to score 50+ in both innings at Lord’s, joining Vinoo Mankad (1952: 72 and 184). Rahul’s century made him the second Indian with multiple Test tons at Lord’s, following Vengsarkar’s three (1979: 103, 1982: 157, 1986: 126*). Root became the first player to score 3,000 Test runs against India, reaching his 37th century. Stokes claimed his fourth Lord’s Player of the Match award—a record—with 77 runs and five wickets, including Bumrah’s scalp via a short-ball trap. Sundar’s 4-22 was his finest Test haul, while Jurel’s substitute catch off Pope was a standout moment. The tied first-innings score of 387 was the 17th time both teams scored 350+ at Lord’s, and only the fourth instance of a team defending under 200 runs there.
India’s young squad—Gill (26), Pant (27), Reddy, and players like Akash Deep—radiated promise despite the loss. Gill’s batting woes, with low scores exposing the top order, tested his captaincy, but his leadership rallied a team that clawed back from 82-7, echoing their 2021 Gabba heroics. Pant’s run-out was a gut punch, robbing India of a game-changer, while Siraj’s brave but flawed effort sealed their fate. On the field, Gill said, “Jadeja showed his experience, batting brilliantly with the tail. We wanted him to stay out there.” In the post-match press conference, he reflected, “It stings to lose by 22 runs, but I’m proud of our fight. My batting didn’t fire, but this young team showed heart, and we’ll hit back in Manchester.” Stokes, in his post-match interview, said, “India pushed us to the brink. Jadeja was phenomenal, and that chase was Test cricket at its finest. Bashir’s courage with that injury was unreal.
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The series, now 2-1 to England, heads to Manchester from Lord’s, with Bumrah’s return fueling India’s hopes. For Indian and English fans, the team’s spirit was a badge of honour, with broadcasts and social media posts fanning the drama. This Lord’s epic, with its tail-driven thriller, was a saga cricket fans will revisit for years.
– global bihari bureau
