England beat India in the third test at Lords by 22 runs

 England beat India in the third test at Lords by 22 runs. 

In the ancestral home of English cricket, England marched forward across the matchless meadows and fields of its illustrious history and Lords sighed with a perfect summertime reverence. Throughout the centuries and decades, the England cricket team have always regarded Lords as their spiritual home. It is the place they come back to reminisce on the valour and gallantry of the Compton brothers Denis and Leslie, who, during and after England's grimmest years of wartime, brought so much happiness and pleasure to those who sit in the seats with their yellow and red ties enraptured by cricket's art and beauty. 

The members of the Lords most knowledgeable of cricket observers know their cricket inside out. They've seen Botham at his most breathtaking, Dexter at his most dextrous, Cowdrey at his most organisational, Boycott at his most patient and methodical, Hutton, spreading goodwill and oozing regal batsmanship at its most destructive and now the present day England team. At times English cricket has been too spoilt for words. 

Last night we were reminded of English class, English grit and determination, English stubbornness and sheer strength of character. At no point was this Test match against India ever likely to be a meeting of lifelong friends and long standing, mutual respect for each other. This one was spiky, vengeful, angry, antagonistic and no holds barred. It was, at times, ugly, spiteful, malicious at times and then just plain unpleasant when the stakes were at their highest. There was no love lost between England and India in the third test at Lords.

There was angry finger wagging, deep seated animosity and almost utter contempt for each other. And yet this was not an Ashes contest between Australia and England so you had to remember what you were watching here. This was a novelty moment in Test cricket. England and India were on a war footing at Lords and that didn't really begin to make any sense. Still, this was what we got in this feisty, confrontational almost bloodthirsty Test match. Well, not quite perhaps but it certainly felt like it. 

By the time leg spinner Shoaib Bashir had twirled down a delivery and just left Mohammed Siraj all tangled up and forlorn, you knew this was the end for India. But then you noticed that the ball had beaten Siraj all ends up but he had still played the shot. And then there was the agonising sight of the ball dropping onto the ground, creeping unobtrusively towards the wickets and bails which simply fell like a deck of cards. Suraj was out and England had won the third test at Lords by 22 runs. It seemed like the ultimate act of cruelty. 

Lords may never have seen anything like this since the good Dr WG Grace dug his intellectual bat into the ground for the  national side, a pillar of stern reliability and English devil may care doughtiness. Somewhere perhaps Grace may have been out there, judging and severely reprimanding today's craftsmen and draughtsmen. He may well have been looking down on the likes of the wonderful Ben Stokes, the thoughtful and analytical captain Joe Root who hit the most majestic of centuries. Root's 104 runs tore India's bowling attack to pieces and then the superbly maturing Harry Brook announced his stately presence 

During England's first innings, the skipper Joe Root built up his unforgettable century in a way that his fellow Yorkshire and England batsman Sir Geoff Boycott must have been impressed by. Surely Boycott would have had words of wisdom and flattery for Root who is slowly carving out his legendary status. Once again, Root punched his ferocious cover and straight drives down the wicket before blasting the ball into the Lords pavilion with fours and sixes that shone like diamonds. This was Root at his most commanding, powerful and influential, breathing leadership qualities in a way that Boycott would surely have appreciated. 

Then there was the admirable supporting cast of Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Jofra Archer returning to the England team after a seemingly interminable four year absence and Chris Woakes. Here was an English cricket team desperately trying to prove themselves as a team to be feared and never forgotten. Archer was bowling at his fastest and most business like. The Archer eyes were flaring, the number on the back of his shirt rather like an identifiable warning to all comers. And so it was Archer who created havoc whenever he hurtled into bowl like the proverbial steam engine. 

And yet this was a real roller coaster, classically well balanced, nail biter of a Test match. By now India and England were in each other's faces, boiling over with genuine resentment and indignation. This was personal now and England had to do it for not only themselves but the whole of Lords. Lords has now come to expect English victory as a divine right, compulsory and essential, nothing less than routine. So it proved. 

Yesterday evening after England had beaten, the Indian playmakers Rishabh Pant and Ravinda Jadeja looked almost helpless but dogged to the end. Jadeja had scored a commendable 72 and Pant had kept him valuable company with 74 runs. But although the last overs of this Test match had faded into the most beautiful evening sunset, you could still see the evidence of needle, angst, a thousand grudges. England had beaten India but the Lords pavilion was still shivering and seething. Cricket though had won the day.