England take 2-1 series lead over India with thrilling Lord’s win
LONDON: A thrilling series produced a gripping finale as England beat India by 22 runs in a nail-biting third Test at Lord’s on Monday to go 2-1 up with two Tests to play.India were on the brink of defeat at 147-9, still needing a further 46 runs to reach a victory target of 193, when last man Mohammed Siraj joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle.Nevertheless, the pair batted on until after tea on the final day to give India hope of an improbable victory.But with India eyeing a stunning success, off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who had been off the field for much of the match with a finger injury, had the final say.As Siraj played defensively, the ball spun back past him to dislodge the leg bail with the faintest of touches to leave India 170 all out.As the England fielders celebrated, the fiery Siraj was crestfallen as was his partner Jadeja who was left stranded on 61 not out — his fourth consecutive fifty this series — after batting for nearly four-and-a-half hours.England captain Ben Stokes bowled two lengthy spells Monday on his way to innings figures of 3-48 in 24 overs, with fast bowler Jofra Archer — in his first Test after more than four years of injury-induced exile — taking 3-55 in 16.Lively medium-pacer Stokes, whose career has been blighted by knee injuries, again proved his worth to England as a fully-fledged all-rounder.“I thought I had taken myself to some pretty dark places before but today was...