 "Karun Nair reacts after throwing away his wicket in the second innings of 3rd Test at Lord's. Image: Reuters")
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has highlighted the key moment that cost India the third Test against England at Lord’s. Apart from pointing out the run out of vice-captain Rishabh Pant in the first innings, effected by English skipper Ben Stokes, Shastri believes that Karun Nair should also take the blame for the loss.
England won the third Test by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 193, India were bowled out for just 170 despite being in control for the majority of the period. Earlier, India lost the first Test at Headingley after dominating England for a long time.
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Shastri blames Nair for loss
Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri said Rishabh Pant’s run-out in the first innings and Karun Nair’s dismissal in the second innings were the turning points. “The turning point for me in this Test match was, first of all, Rishabh Pant’s dismissal (in the first innings),” Shastri said.
“Ben Stokes…simply outstanding presence of mind to hit at the right end and pull it off on the stroke of lunch. Because India would have got a lead and they were in the driver’s seat,” he added.
But the bigger blow, according to Shastri, came in the second innings when India were 41/1 and Karun Nair got dismissed by Brydon Carse. He was trapped LBW, giving England an opening. Nair has returned to the Test side after a long time as Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar felt he deserved a chance after respectable domestic performance and County Cricket experience.
“Having said that, again at 40/1 (in the second innings), I thought that was a huge lapse in concentration from Karun Nair to leave a straight ball, a nothing ball, to leave it and open the door for England. I thought that the timing of that dismissal turned things around,” Shastri said.
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After Nair’s wicket, India collapsed from 42/2 to 82/7, handing the advantage to the hosts. Ravindra Jadeja then stitched two vital partnerships with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, reducing the target from 82 runs to just 22. But Siraj’s unfortunate wicket, where the ball deflected off his bat despite a solid defensive shot and ricocheted onto the stumps, ended India’s hopes.
India will be eager to bounce back and level the series again. The fourth Test is scheduled to be held in Manchester from 23 to 27 July.