Test Cricket Needs This Kind of Spice, Edge: Jonathan Trott on Lord's Test

Speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’ after the conclusion of Day 5 of the third Test, JioHotstar expert Anil Kumble commented on India’s loss and the final moments of the match: “I was just reminded of one Test match where I lost by 12 runs against Pakistan in Chennai. It was a similar kind of dismissal. Just 22 runs. Jadeja left stranded—I mean, he planned to get India this close to winning. But England just stuck to their task. I guess the previous over from Jofra Archer certainly rattled Siraj. It’s not like he was looking to take the bowler on, but the silly point coming in added pressure. Thought that was a great chance to pull off a historic win. But that’s what it should be for India—despite losing by 22 runs, there are a lot of positives.”

Reacting to the spirit of the series, JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott noted: “Once again, a match decided by the finest of margins—22 runs today. We saw Siraj being consoled. That’s exactly what we want to see. We’ve seen hard-fought cricket over five days, and then handshakes all around. One team had to win, and this time it was England.”

On the intensity of the final session, Jonathan Trott added: “It was so tense—nail-biting stuff. I’m not sure I’ve got any nails left! It’s obviously a sad way for the game to end, but someone had to win. I think this is great for Test cricket—a bit of spice, a bit of edginess on the field. As long as the teams get along off the field and there’s no carry-over to the fourth Test, we’re good. It’s been played really hard out there. I can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”

On Ravindra Jadeja’s performance and approach, Kumble commented: “He would have identified the bowlers he could target. Like I mentioned—Chris Woakes, who’s slightly slower in the air, and Joe Root or Bashir. Even though they’re off-spinners, it wasn’t like the ball was turning square. Jadeja has played on tougher wickets against tougher bowling attacks. Ideally, if someone had to take the risk and get out, it should have been Jadeja rather than Siraj. He did well to farm the strike—especially with Bumrah and Siraj at the other end. But giving Bashir a full over was risky. That’s when he could have gone after him. He was outstanding throughout. He came in early—sixth over of the day—and remained unbeaten. To double the score after being 82 for 7 with just Bumrah and Siraj is incredible. The other batters will be disappointed—they had chances. Also, those extras—32 in the first innings and almost 65 across both—will be a big point of discussion.”

Jonathan Trott, on Jadeja’s innings, said: “Hindsight is a beautiful thing. I think Jadeja played incredibly well. I don’t see the point in overanalysing him. He manoeuvred himself and the team excellently. He’s battled, left well, and had a bit of luck. The ball was spinning away, and yes, there was temptation to attack Bashir. But had he slogged and gotten out, we’d be saying he threw it away. I thought he played exceptionally. The other batters will probably reflect and ask themselves—why couldn’t I have done what Jadeja did to give us a chance?”

Summing up the broader context of the series, Kumble concluded:“This is a great advertisement for Test cricket. All three Tests have gone down to the wire, and both teams have fought brilliantly. Yes, the scoreline says 2-1 to England, but if you look at session-wise performances, it’s been even. India should feel confident heading into the next two Tests. They've already bounced back from a loss in the first Test. This match came down to fine margins—like Pant’s run-out before lunch, the extras, and perhaps letting Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse score freely. Those key moments—India will need to grab them in the next game if they want to level the series.”

Catch Day 1 of the fourth Test of India’s tour of England, 23rd July at 3:30 PM, live on JioHotstar.