India great Sunil Gavaskar has backed the Shubman Gill-led young side to bounce back from the Lord’s Test heartbreak and win the five-match series 3-2 with victories in Manchester and at the Oval.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar felt the batters’ inability to strike a partnership hit the team hard at Lord’s.
It was a match to remember as India fought hard at Lord’s on the final day when it seemed the game would be over long before. India eventually lost the game by 22 runs to concede England a 2-1 lead in the ongoing series. Following the game, former India cricketer Sunil Sunil Gavaskar praised Ravindra Jadeja, but reckoned he could have been a little more aggressive. Sunil Gavaskar also mentioned that not getting a 60-70-run stand hurt India.
India lost an enthralling thriller at Lord’s by 22 runs
From the time India lost four wickets in the first session on Day 5 of the third Test against England at Lord’s, the threat of a big defeat loomed large on Shubman Gill and co. At the start of the day, India needed just 135 with six wickets in hand but that target too looked humongous when the first session ended.
Then, came a lone-warrior effort from all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Despite him and the lower order giving it their all, India were so close yet so far to register a miraculous victory by being bowled out for 170 in 74.5 overs. For England, skipper Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer took three wickets each off bowling 24 and 16 overs respectively, while Brydon Carse had two scalps.
England were put on course for a memorable win when Stokes and Archer picked three wickets, including of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, in the first hour, before Woakes took out Nitish Kumar Reddy at the stroke of lunch.Under cloudy skies, Pant began by whipping a poor delivery from Archer for four, before taking off his injured bottom hand four times while dealing with 140kmph and above pacy deliveries from the fast bowler, who constantly attacked the stumps.
After Pant creamed Archer for a one-handed drive through mid-on for four, the fast bowler bounced back by getting one to straighten past his outside edge and send the left-hander’s off stump on a cartwheel ride to dismiss him for nine.A tireless Stokes conjured up magic yet again when he got one to nip back in sharply and hit Rahul on the back pad. Despite the passionate appeal, the umpire gave it not out and Stokes got to turn the decision on review, as replays showed ball hitting top of stumps, leaving him and England jubilant.
Archer created another moment of brilliance by taking a one-handed catch to his right in his follow-through to dismiss Washington Sundar for a four-ball duck. From 82/7, Jadeja and Reddy rotated the strike while defending at every possibility to ensure India crossed 100-run mark in the 32nd over.
With the ball going soft, it helped Jadeja and Reddy to hang around, despite the former getting into a collision with Brydon Carse while going for two runs. Reddy finally got India its first boundary in 80 balls with a well-timed uppish drive going past diving cover for four, before inside edging just past his stumps for a streaky brace.
But at the stroke of lunch, Woakes found Reddy’s outside edge via a short ball angled from wide of the crease and Jamie Smith took a simple catch behind the stumps to end a stubborn partnership, leaving England to pick just two wickets to win the match post lunch. Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar slammed Indian team for their poor performance with the bat in the Lord’s test but remain optimistic regarding a possible comeback at Manchester and Trent Bridge, Oval.
Sunil Gavaskar backs Shubman Gill’s unit to come back strong
It will not be easy as the hosts would be high-on-confidence after a win of such magnitude. The belief would be lacking in the Indian dressing-room and it would be important to see how they keep themselves focused and motivated for the upcoming Test at Manchester. However former Indian Legend Sunil Gavaskar is optimistic about India’s chances of drawing the series in Manchester.
Speaking on India Today, Sunil Gavaskar expressed a little bit of luck going their way in the upcoming two matches, adding that they can potentially win the two Tests and take the series. Gavaskar said, expressing his views that :
“I think in Manchester, there will be a bit more carry. The pitches so far have been quite low and slow-nothing like the usual English conditions with seam and swing movement. We haven’t seen much of that in the first three matches, maybe just a little.
“But in Manchester, you’ll definitely get more assistance for the new-ball bowlers, which should test our attack quite a bit. It’ll also be better for the batters, as they like the ball coming onto the bat, allowing them to play through the line.” Sunil Gavaskar said
“So I’d imagine that in Manchester, India has a very good chance of levelling the series. Overall, it’ll be a pitch where the ball comes on nicely. India just needs a bit of luck. They had some here and at Leeds-if they get a little more at Manchester and the Oval, they could win the series 3-2.” Sunil Gavaskar concluded
England head to Manchester, the venue for the fourth Test, with a 2-1 lead in the series. They had earlier won the opener in Leeds last month by five wickets, before losing by 336 runs in Birmingham.
Also Read:Â ENG vs IND : Shubman Gill Appointed Test Skipper For Red Ball