'Captain wasn't the same player after drama on Day 3': Former India players point out mistakes that cost Lord's Test

Former India cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Murali Karthik have pointed out key mistakes that cost India the Lord’s Test against England. India lost the match by 22 runs after failing to chase a modest target of 193 in the final innings. This means that England now lead the five-match contest 2-1.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said there wasn’t a single big blunder by the team but a series of small moments that went against them. He highlighted Rishabh Pant’s run-out in the first innings but also stressed that the drama on Day 3, when an altercation occurred between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley, impacted the captain’s focus.

“There was no straightforward blunder from this young Indian team like we have seen in the past. Rishabh Pant’s run-out yes, but who is to know if there could have been another great delivery and gotten him out as well. I want to stress again on the drama that happened on Day 3. That got a little fired up and the captain wasn’t the same player in the second innings. So, that hurt India a little bit. Washington Sundar’s introduction was very late in the second innings and that may have cost India 30-40 runs,” Manjrekar said.

Murali Karthik highlighted the team’s batting approach, saying that some dismissals were down to poor planning and lack of application, referring to Rishabh Pant’s run out. He explained that players need to adapt better to the situation instead of sticking to their usual style of aggressive play.

“Mistakes happen. Some can be called inexperience, some bad planning, and some simply a lack of application because a few of the shots that were played were not necessary at all. Sometimes, you cannot just say, ‘This is how I play, and this is the only way I know how to bat.’ No. Even Nitish Kumar Reddy has a particular style of batting, but today he adapted and tried a different approach. Yes, he got out to a good delivery from Chris Woakes, but the important thing is he tried to adjust according to the situation,” Murali Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

‘Gautam Gambhir will be angry’

He also pointed out the importance of session management, especially not losing wickets right before a break. Karthik further said that small run chases are always tricky and require experience and composure.

“And that’s the problem with this batting lineup. You have expectations from them, you have hope, and at the same time, you want them to learn from their mistakes. For example, getting out just before a session break is a crucial mistake. That’s the time when you’ve done all the hard work, but if you hand the advantage back to the opposition just before lunch, then when you come back after the break, you have to start all over again—and that becomes very difficult,” he added.

“So, going forward, India needs to look at all these aspects. These small run chases are always tricky. You don’t know whether to accelerate early or play slow and steady. That’s where experience in such run chases becomes important. Under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, this is the second time that a small run chase has failed. He will be very angry with himself and also with the team,” Karthik concluded.

India will now look to bounce back in the fourth Test in Manchester starting 23 July.