India lost the third Test by 22 runs at Lord’s Cricket Ground, falling behind 1-2 in the five-match series against England, with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on the line. On the final day of the Test, the Shubman Gill-led side fell short of chasing down a 193-run mark at the Home of Cricket.
India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early in their second innings on Day 4. However, KL Rahul and Karun Nair kept the ship afloat with a 36-run stand off 66 balls for the second wicket. However, Brydon Carse broke the stand when Nair raised his arms to a nip-backer, which struck him on the pads near the wickets. The umpire did not hesitate in lifting his finger, and the right-handed hitter made the prudent option not to dispute the decision because he was directly in front of the stumps.
Karun Nair made 14 from 33 balls. Shubman Gill and Akash Deep were also removed in the final hours of Day 4 as England placed the tourists under tremendous pressure.
Ajinkya Rahane believes Karun Nair’s wicket provided a much-needed boost to Ben Stokes and his teammates.
The Kolkata Knight Riders captain noticed that England began bowling more aggressively after the dismissal, and their fielding was also excellent. Rahane also lauded the Three Lions’ character.
“At that time, India was cruising. 40 odd for one, but Karun Nair’s lbw transformed the game for both India and England. I think England came back into the game extremely well, and then they started bowling brilliantly; their intensity on the pitch, their fielders, and the character that they demonstrated was incredible’, Rahane stated on his YouTube channel.
Nair’s place in the side is under the scanner as the 33-year-old has only managed 131 runs in six innings at an average of 21.83. The fourth Test takes place at Emirates, Old Trafford, starting on Wednesday, July 23.
India
