Follow UsIndia bottled a golden opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, failing to chase down 193 on the final day of the third Test at Lord’s. Starting the day needing just 135 runs with six wickets in hand, India collapsed and fell short by 22 runs.
England captain Ben Stokes, along with Jofra Archer, ran through India’s middle order in the first seven overs of the day, dismissing Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Washington Sundar. Ravindra Jadeja (61* off 181) mounted a gritty resistance, supported by Jasprit Bumrah (5 off 54) and Mohammed Siraj (4 off 30), but it wasn't enough.
This wasn’t the first time India let a winnable Test slip through their fingers in England. Here’s a look at three such instances in the 21st century:
Edgbaston, 2018
This Lord’s defeat was similar to the one in the 2018 tour opener at Edgbaston. After the first innings, there was little to separate the two sides, with England holding a slender 13-run lead. Ishant Sharma’s five-wicket haul saw England dismissed for 180 in the second innings, giving India a chase of just 194.
However, the Indian batting lineup failed to deliver. Stokes claimed four wickets, while Anderson and Broad chipped in with two each. Virat Kohli (51) was the lone warrior, but India were bowled out for 162, falling short by 31 runs.
Edgbaston, 2022
India squandered another series-winning opportunity to win the rescheduled fifth Test of the 2021-22 series. After setting England a mammoth target of 378, India looked primed to win their first series in England since 2007.
But the English top order fired in unison. Alex Lees (56) and Zak Crawley (46) laid a solid foundation with a 107-run stand, and then Joe Root (142*) and Jonny Bairstow (114*) took over, chasing down the target with seven wickets to spare.
Despite boasting a strong bowling unit - Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Siraj, Shardul Thakur, and Jadeja - India failed to make an impact. While Bumrah and Shami leaked over four runs per over, Siraj and Shardul were even more expensive, conceding nearly six an over. The defeat also marked England’s highest successful chase in Test cricket.
Headingley, 2025
England’s second-highest run-chase also came against India, in the first Test of the ongoing 2025 series. Despite five Indian centuries across both innings, India couldn’t defend 371. The bowlers failed to capitalise on the runs, allowing England to chase the target down with five wickets in hand.
Bumrah and Siraj went wicketless, while Shardul and Prasidh Krishna were expensive, conceding at 5.10 and 6.10 runs per over respectively. Ben Duckett starred with a superb 149 off 170 deliveries, while Zak Crawley chipped in with 65 as the openers stitched together a 188-run partnership. Contributions from Joe Root, Stokes, and Jamie Smith sealed the chase for the hosts.