Jadeja and India tail fight to keep hopes alive in thrilling Lord’s test finale

By Canadian Press on July 14, 2025.

LONDON (AP) — Ravindra Jadeja and the India tail kept alive hopes of a miracle win against England in the Lord’s test by surviving to tea on the final day Monday.

India was 163-9 at the interval in pursuit of 193 to win the match.

India needed 30 more runs but had only one wicket left and 10 overs before the second new ball was available to England.

Jadeja was on 56 from 162 balls — his second half-century of the match — and No. 11 batter Mohammed Siraj on 2 off 20.

Their partnership was 16 runs off 8.3 overs.

India was 112-8 at lunch and staring at imminent defeat.

But Jadeja and No. 10 batter Jasprit Bumrah were determined to drag India to the finish line. They defied a relentless England attack with help from a soft ball and dead track.

Jadeja shielded Bumrah until after Jadeja hit India’s first six of the innings and trusted giving his teammate more of the strike.

They dropped India’s target below 80, 70, 60 then 50 but after combining for 35 runs in 22 overs, Bumrah hacked at a Ben Stokes short ball and top-edged to mid-on. Bumrah scored 5 in 54 balls.

India still needed 46 more runs and England wasn’t going to sweat until 30 was needed.

But after an extra half-hour to get out the last wicket, Jadeja and Siraj reduced India’s target to 30 with one more session left.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Foster Niumata, The Associated Press