Blame Game Erupts In Team India After Lord’s Defeat: Shubman Gill Points To KL Rahul’s Costly Call As Turning Point In 3rd Test Vs England | Cricket News
In a gripping finale that embodied the very spirit of Test cricket, Team India fell agonizingly short by 22 runs against England in the third Test at Lord’s, surrendering a crucial lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. Chasing a modest 193, India stumbled to 112/8 before a stirring lower-order revival, powered by Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj, reignited hopes of a miraculous heist. Ultimately, England’s bowlers held their nerve, and India were bowled out for 170, handing Ben Stokes & Co. a 2-1 advantage.
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Shubman Gill Speaks: KL Rahul’s Call “The Turning Point”
At the post-match press conference, India captain Shubman Gill didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room. When asked about Rishabh Pant’s run-out in the first innings—an incident now widely viewed as a momentum-shifting moment—Gill revealed that it stemmed from a misjudged call by KL Rahul.
“It was an error in judgment,” said Gill. “KL bhai was at the danger end. We’ve had discussions around it.”
India, at that stage, were looking to consolidate a strong position with Pant batting fluently. His dismissal halted India’s momentum, ultimately resulting in a slender lead rather than the substantial cushion that could have changed the complexion of the final innings.
Jadeja’s Measured Grit Sparks Debate
While Ravindra Jadeja’s valiant 61* off 181 balls kept India in the hunt, his approach triggered a heated debate among fans and pundits alike. Former head coach Ravi Shastri questioned whether Jadeja should have shown more aggression and farmed the strike better. However, Gill stood by his senior teammate.
“He is very experienced; I didn’t want to send any message. He batted brilliantly with the tail,” said Gill, defending Jadeja’s strategy.
Jadeja’s partnerships—30 with Nitish Reddy, 35 with Bumrah, and 23 with Siraj—took India within 23 runs of glory. But with only two wickets in hand, the debate on strike rotation and shot selection will linger.
A Test for the Ages, But Lessons to Learn
Despite the loss, Shubman Gill praised his team’s resilience. After losing seven wickets for under 100, the lower order displayed unexpected grit, turning what looked like a certain collapse into a near-historic chase.
“Extremely proud,” Gill noted. “This was as close a Test as it can get. We just needed one 50-run partnership in the top order—just one—and it could’ve been a different result.”
India’s inability to stitch together meaningful stands in the top six proved costly. Gill acknowledged that had the team applied themselves better in the final hour of day four, or if even one batter had hung around longer on day five, the result may have tilted in their favor.
The Unseen Dominance Behind the Scoreline
Gill also pointed out a critical yet overlooked insight—India dominated more sessions in the series so far, but catastrophic collapses in key moments turned the tide against them.
“Of 15 days of cricket, we dominated most. But the sessions we lost—we lost badly,” said Gill.
His statement is not without merit. India’s bowling attack had England on the ropes multiple times across three Tests, but lapses in the field, strategic errors, and lapses in batting concentration allowed England to capitalise.
