London, UK– Following India’s gripping 22-run defeat against England in the third Test at Lord’s, captain Shubman Gill expressed immense pride in his team’s fight, especially after being in a precarious position. However, he also pinpointed critical moments, lamenting the absence of a crucial fifty-run partnership and Rishabh Pant’s first-innings run-out as factors that contributed to their narrow loss.
The Fine Margins of Defeat
Speaking at the post-match prize distribution ceremony, Gill acknowledged the tight nature of the contest. “Extremely proud, it was as close a Test match as it can get, played over five days and comes down to the last session,” he stated. Despite having “plenty of batting left” and being confident of their chances heading into the final stages, the Indian skipper highlighted a key failing: “We needed a couple of 50-run partnerships but we weren’t able to get that.”
Gill also admitted that Rishabh Pant’s first-innings run-out was a significant turning point. He believes that had Pant not been dismissed in that manner, India could have secured a crucial “70 to 80-run lead,” potentially avoiding the daunting task of chasing nearly 200 runs on a challenging fifth-day track. Addressing a query about whether players were overly focused on personal milestones, particularly referencing KL Rahul’s discussion with Pant about reaching a hundred before lunch, Gill defended the incident. “Actually it was an error of judgement as far as the run is concerned and that can happen. And if you look closely, it was KL bhai, who was running at the danger’s end,” he clarified.
Jadeja’s Lone Fight
Ravindra Jadeja’s dogged unbeaten 61 off 181 balls, as he battled valiantly with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, nearly steered India to victory before the team was eventually bowled out for 170. Gill staunchly defended Jadeja’s tactic of not going for big shots with only two wickets remaining, emphasizing his experience. “He is very experienced and there was no message sent. He batted brilliantly with the tail,” Gill affirmed. He did, however, concede that in the final hour of play on Day 4, the team “could have applied ourselves better.”
Lessons Learned and Series Reflection
Reflecting on the series as a whole, which now stands at 2-1 in England’s favor, Gill lamented that the scorecard might not truly represent India’s performance. “Of 15 days of Test cricket, we dominated the maximum days but the sessions that were bad were so bad that we lost two games. The series scorecard won’t reflect how we have played,” he concluded, indicating a belief that India had been the more dominant side for larger periods of the series despite the two losses.
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