India need to learn the right lessons from the Lord’s Test

It was a close encounter of the Test kind. Drama and pressure were the defining points of a day that few will forget anytime soon. But among those who do want to forget it will be a few India cricketers.

- Rasesh Mandani

Most metrics at the start of Day 5 of the Lord’s Test gave India a better chance of coming out victorious and it was believable because on the usual forms of comparison, Shubman Gill and his team were the better team in the series.

The visitors have had more batters with hundreds than England -- 8 to 5 - and more bowlers to claim 5-fers -- 4 to 0. The top two leading run scorers are Indian (Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant). The leading wicket-takers too are Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.

Yet, despite putting themselves in positions to win all three Tests, India trail 1-2 in the series.

The immediate sentiment in the change room after the defeat at Lord’s is that of appreciation for the lower order's defiance, but Gautam Gambhir and his backroom staff will have to look beyond that soon.

They may take a closer look at why no batter in the top order could spend substantive time at the crease. They may want to talk about the batting collapses in both innings -- from 376/6 to 387 all out in the first innings and 41/1 to 82/7 in the second.

Grab the chances