Anil Kumble Reflects on India's Narrow Loss Against England at Lord's

Kumble's Insights on Jadeja's Performance

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble expressed that Ravindra Jadeja should have targeted Shoaib Bashir instead of exposing Mohammed Siraj during the tense moments of the third Test against England at Lord's. This match brought back memories of a heartbreaking loss to Pakistan in Chennai 26 years ago.

In that historic match, India fell short by just 12 runs, despite Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable 136, played while battling back spasms. Kumble noted the similarity between the dismissal of Javagal Srinath by Saqlain Mushtaq and how Siraj's stumps were dislodged in the recent game.

"Watching Siraj's dismissal reminded me of that match against Pakistan. Jadeja was left stranded with just 22 runs needed. He had brought India so close to victory, but England maintained their composure," Kumble reflected, recalling his own experience from the Chennai match.

While Jadeja was managing to take singles off the fourth or fifth ball of each over, Kumble believed he could have taken more risks against some of the slower bowlers.

"He should have identified bowlers to target, like Chris Woakes, who bowls slightly slower, and Joe Root or Bashir. The ball wasn't turning significantly, even though they were off-spinners," Kumble added.

"If anyone needed to take a risk, it should have been Jadeja instead of Siraj. He did well to keep the strike, especially with Bumrah and Siraj at the other end, but giving Bashir a full over was a gamble. That was the moment he could have attacked him."

Despite the loss, Kumble commended Jadeja for his resilient 61 not out, which brought India to 170 in their chase of 193 runs.

"Jadeja was exceptional throughout the innings. Coming in early, he remained unbeaten and managed to double the score from 82 for 7 with just Bumrah and Siraj left to bat, which is remarkable," Kumble praised.

"The other batsmen will feel disappointed as they had their opportunities. Additionally, the extras—32 in the first innings and nearly 65 overall—will be a significant topic of discussion," he noted.

Regarding Siraj, Kumble suggested that being struck on the shoulder by Jofra Archer in the previous over may have affected his performance.

"He wasn't looking to take on the bowler, but the pressure from the silly point added to the tension. It was a great opportunity to achieve a historic win," Kumble remarked.

Kumble described the Lord's Test as a 'fantastic advertisement for Test cricket.' He stated, "All three Tests have been closely contested, with both teams showing remarkable fighting spirit. Although the scoreline reads 2-1 in favor of England, the performances in each session have been quite balanced."