Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

India suffered heartbreak in England once again, losing the seesawing, fiery Lord’s Test by 22 runs. Like the series opener at Headingley, this was a match they had in their grasp on multiple occasions, but ultimately let it slip to fall 2-1 behind in the five-match series.

This defeat comes down to three crucial junctures in this game. India were on top on all three occasions, but unforced errors proved to be very costly. Here is a look at those in some detail.

Where India lost the Lord’s Test: 3 crucial parts of the game where they let things slip

1. England recovering from 271/7 to post 387

Much has been made of the combinations in India’s XI. Is there enough depth? Is there too much of a reliance on the main quicks? Are lower-order runs prioritised too much over wicket-taking?

However, India have picked up all 40 wickets since making the call to play both Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy at Edgbaston. They had England on the ropes at 271/7 in the first innings, but India allowed the hosts to get away and add a further 116.

KL Rahul dropping Jamie Smith on five was a vital moment. The in-form keeper-batsman went on to make 51. Also, India had no answers to Brydon Carse’s onslaught as he struck an 83-ball 56.

2. Rishabh Pant run out

Despite India’s less-than-ideal finish with the ball, they were in total control of proceedings in their first innings. On a hot day and flat pitch, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant had England sweating during their 141-run stand. At 248/3, India were just 139 runs behind England’s first innings total and had visions of taking a lead.

That is where arguably the biggest moment in the game took place. In the final over before lunch on day three, KL Rahul, batting on 97, hit a short, wide Shoaib Bashir delivery to deep cover point. He looked to the skies in disappointment, and Rishabh Pant gave a wry smile. Two balls later, they risked a quick single to get Rahul back on strike, and Ben Stokes produced a magnificent piece of fielding to catch Pant short.

It wasn’t a risk worth taking. Rahul would have been fine to wait an extra 40 minutes to reach his hundred. Ultimately, there was a bigger picture, and that was India bossing the game post-lunch.

The needless dismissal opened the door for England. Immediately after Rahul reached his century following the break, he was caught at slip off a flighted Bashir delivery. All of a sudden, India were 254/5, and the game was at an even keel once again.

The visitors then recovered to 376/6, only to lose their final four wickets for 11 runs to leave the game level after the first innings. With signs of uneven bounce, India had to bowl well in the second innings.

3. Five of India’s top six contribute 30 between them in the run chase

India bowled beautifully in the second innings to restrict England to 192. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were outstanding in extracting movement and uneven bounce off a wearing Lord’s surface. Then, Washington Sundar (4/22) produced a gem of a spell, bamboozling the English batsmen with subtle changes of pace and length.

Needing 193 to win, India were nicely placed at 44/1. However, they opened the door once again thanks to an unforced error. Karun Nair’s fatal misjudgement lifted England on the fourth evening, and by the time they had Edgbaston hero Shubman Gill and nightwatchman Akash Deep back in the pavilion, Ben Stokes’ side were the favourites heading into day five.

England’s dream start to day 5

Favouritism soon became almost certainties. Jofra Archer produced an inspired spell to start the fifth day, ripping through Rishabh Pant’s defence in another crucial moment in the game. He then dismissed Washington Sundar via a magnificent one-handed catch in his follow through. In between, Stokes had KL Rahul trapped LBW.

India, seven down, still needed 111. Ravindra Jadeja (61*), along with Nitish Kumar Reddy (crucially dismissed by Woakes on the stroke of lunch), Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, all defended stoutly as they edged India closer and closer. However, as the pitch had very little life in it once the ball softened, India would have loved for a recognised batsman to be there alongside Jadeja post-lunch on day five.

Jadeja tried his utmost. The surface wasn’t the easiest for strokeplay, and it became all the more trickier to score quickly with fielders riding the boundary. He hung in for as long as he could, but with the lack of run scoring capability that a specialist batsman would have provided at the other end, India were always climbing a steep mountain.

Like in 2018, India fans were left to wonder what may have been as Siraj was bowled in very unlucky fashion. Shubman Gill’s team now have to pick themselves up quickly for the Manchester Test which begins on July 23.

Defeat there means series over, and that would be a huge disappointment given the positions they have found themselves in this series.