India is trailing 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against England, having lost in Leeds and London. They won the Birmingham Test, but former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that with a little luck, Shubman Gill and his team could have led 3-0.
The third Test at Lord’s was a closely contested match, with England winning by 22 runs. According to Shastri, Rishabh Pant’s run-out while batting on 74 in the first innings proved to be the turning point.
“With a little luck, India could have gone 3-0 up. For me, the turning point in this Test match was Rishabh Pant’s dismissal [in the first innings]. Ben Stokes had simply great mental presence to hit the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunchtime. Because India was in control,” Shastri remarked during an appearance on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan.
Shastri stated that players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj demonstrated that there was no devil on the surface, and that a little more grit from the top-order batters near the end of Day 4 would have clinched India’s triumph.
“There was a significant loss in concentration. It changed things around. Because as the ball grew older, you could see how strong Siraj, Bumrah, and Jadeja were in defence. “If the top order had been a little tougher and mentally stronger at the end of Day 4, this game would have been India’s,” Shastri said.
When things got bad, they grabbed the moment: Ravi Shastri
Shastri praised England for grabbing key moments during the Test match. The cricketer-turned-commentator recalled the Test match between India and England at the Home of Cricket in 2021, citing similarities to the most recent meeting between the two cricketing powerhouses.
“You must compliment England. When things became bad, they grab the moment. When they noticed a crack in the door, they kicked it wide open. There was almost nothing on that surface. “If India had lost two fewer wickets the previous day, they would have chased it down,” Shastri stated.
“It reminded me of the 2021 Test here. On that occasion, India batted first, similar scorelines, and a collapse in the second innings. Back then, India won. This time, it was England,” he added.
India
