Right then, three down, two to go in this five-match blockbuster Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with England leading the series 2-1. The first three Tests have been an absolute treat, with every match going the distance. And with tempers flaring and a bit of needle creeping into this contest, the final two Tests promise to be even more gripping. England and India will resume hostilities in the fourth Test, starting Wednesday, 23rd July at Old Trafford in Manchester. The first ball will be bowled at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT), but you can join us early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

There were several key moments that shaped the outcome of this Test, and one of the most telling was the lower-order contribution in the first innings. England’s last three wickets added a priceless 116 runs, while India’s managed just 11, turning what could have been a lead into a rare first-innings tie. Add to that the 25 byes India conceded in the second innings, and in a low-scoring contest, those small margins proved decisive.

The skipper of England, Ben Stokes is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his phenomenal all-round display. On being reminded about 14th July, the day of the 2019 World Cup final being special, he says that he and Jofra had a feeling this morning that this day would be special and he is thankful that it ended on their side. On being asked about Jofra starting ahead of Carse this morning, he says that Carse was amazing last night, but he had a good feeling about Jofra, hence he went with him. On Jofra’s comeback, he says it’s awesome to have him back and all the crowd were up on their feet when he came on to bowl. He adds that he got three crucial wickets. On how tired he is, he says that bowling in a test match for your country gets you excited. He adds that Shoaib Bashir coming on to bowl with a broken finger was a warrior effort. He says that with today all being on the line, him bowling so many overs wasn’t tiring. On batting form, an all-rounder has 4 opportunities to influence the Test match. He adds that with all-rounders the great thing is that if you don’t click in batting, you have a chance with the ball and vice versa. On Pant’s run out, he says he was in the middle of a bowling spell, so he was pumped up and he believes it was just one of those things where natural instinct took over. On going 2-1, he says that two very good teams are going at each other and he expects this series to get tougher going ahead.

The captain of India, Shubman Gill, is up for a chat. He begins by saying that he feels extremely proud of his boys for playing hard-fought cricket in the last session. Adds that this is as close as Test cricket gets. Mentions they were pretty confident with the plenty of batting to come. Appreciates that England bowled really well and they couldn't string some partnerships in the top order. Feels that the target wasn't massive. On the message sent out to Jadeja, Gill says that Jadeja is very experienced and no message was needed to be passed on to him. Says he was batting brilliantly and just wanted him and the tail to keep batting. Admits that at one point, they believed they could get a lead of around 50-60 runs, which he reckons could have been a crucial one, given the state of the match. Shares that they knew chasing around 150-200 on this kind of a pitch won't be easy at all. Tells that things changed really quickly and admits that they could have applied themselves way better in the last hour of the fourth day. Further adds that sometimes the series scorecard doesn't really reflect on how well the team has played. Ends by saying that they are excited for the rest of the series. On being asked about Bumrah's availability for the Old Trafford Test, he chuckles a bit and says it will be shared soon.

Time for the presentation ceremony....

At that point, they looked dead and buried, especially given how fragile the tail had been throughout the series. With the field spread, boundaries were hard to come by for Jadeja but he batted with immense patience. England threw everything they had at the visitors, and once again, it was the golden arm of Ben Stokes that broke through, with Jasprit Bumrah falling to the well-executed short-ball ploy. The flame of hope still flickered for the tourists, as Jadeja found another resolute ally in Mohammed Siraj. The pair battled through a tense phase, and as they headed into the tea break needing just 30 more runs, the possibility of a famous win remained very much alive but it wasn't to be. 

135 runs for India and 6 wickets for England was the equation heading into the final day. Ben Stokes opted to start with Jofra Archer rather than Brydon Carse, a move likely influenced by Archer's success against left-handers. The decision paid off handsomely, with Archer removing both Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar to dent the Indian hopes. The telling moment, however, came from the tireless Stokes himself, who dismissed first-innings centurion KL Rahul during a relentless nine-over spell where he consistently hammered away on a probing length. Just when Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja were stitching together a recovery, the script repeated itself as India lost yet another wicket with the lunch break looming.

In their defence of a middling target, England got just the start they needed with the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal. KL Rahul and Karun Nair looked tentative at first but gradually settled in, guiding India to 41/1 and seemingly in control. However, Brydon Carse turned the tide late in the day with a crucial double strike that swung the momentum back England’s way. Sent in as the nightwatchman, Akash Deep couldn’t survive the final moments.

After three days of slow burn, the Test truly came to life from Day 4 onwards, with the heated exchanges late on Day 3 adding extra spice. On Day 4, India’s pace duo thoroughly tested the English batters in the opening session, with Mohammed Siraj striking early and Jasprit Bumrah rattling the batters to leave England reeling at 98/4. Post-lunch, Joe Root and Ben Stokes stitched together a classy partnership only for Washington Sundar to shatter it with a four-wicket haul that sent the tail packing and left England all out for 192. 

India, three down and trailing by 242, had plenty to do on Day 3. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant led the charge in the morning, until a brilliant piece of fielding from Ben Stokes just before lunch ran Pant out, a massive turning point, as until then, England hadn’t looked like taking a wicket. Rahul fell soon after bringing up his century, and the momentum shifted with India still 133 runs behind. Ravindra Jadeja then steadied the ship, stitching vital stands with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar to take India closer to parity. The last three wickets didn’t add much, and both sides finished with identical first-innings scores, only the ninth such instance in Test history.

Earlier in the game, England won the toss for the third Test in a row and, for the first time, chose to bat. Several batters got starts, but few converted them into big scores. They ended Day 1 on 251/4, with the spotlight on Joe Root and growing anticipation of a century. Root brought up his 37th Test hundred the next morning, but India hit back through Jasprit Bumrah, who took three quick wickets. From 271/7, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse mounted a lower-order rescue with valuable fifties. Smith dropped on 5, made India pay as the last three wickets added 116 runs. England were eventually bowled out for 387, with Bumrah earning his spot on the Lord’s honours board with his first five-wicket haul at the ground.

Test cricket at its absolute best! The injured warrior delivers the final blow to seal a memorable win. Ecstasy for England, but also a touching gesture as they put an arm around the shoulders of Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj, who are understandably heartbroken. We have seen England pull off some remarkable chases in recent times, but this one, defending just 192, will rank right up there as one of their finest. A hard-earned victory for Ben Stokes and his side, and one that will feel especially sweet. India will be left bitterly disappointed. They came into the chase as favourites and had the batting depth to get the job done. While there will be some consolation in the resistance shown by Jadeja and the tail, what will sting the most is their inability to string partnerships and withstand the pressure created with the hard new ball by the English pacers.

Halt! The physio is out to check on Mohammed Siraj. The ice pack is being applied on the left shoulder to ease the pain. Siraj is ready to resume.

Ollie Pope is in at forward short leg, with Joe Root positioned to his right under the helmet, parallel to the popping crease. There is also a leg gully in place.