'There were moments India could have gone ahead, and they couldn't for the third time this series.'
It wasn't just Mohammad Siraj's stumps that were rattled at Lord's -- it was India's grasp on key moments.
As England celebrated a tense 22-run win, former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and ex-England skipper Nasser Hussain pointed to a string of missteps --ma dropped catch, a run out, a collapse -- that proved far more decisive than the final day's drama.
Momentum oscillated between both sides, but England seized the key moments to clinch a 22-run victory.
A stubborn India misfired in their attempt to chase down a 193-run target, despite Ravindra Jadeja's late resistance alongside tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Karthik believes the match shouldn't be judged solely on what unfolded on the final day. Instead, he dissected the first innings and emphasised India's 'mini-collapse' from 376/6 to 387 all -- the same total England eventually posted.
In addition to the batting collapse, K L Rahul misjudged a slip catch and gave Jamie Smith a second life after dropping him on five. The young batter went on to add 46 more runs before being dismissed by Siraj on 51.
'If you're going to judge the match based on what happened today, I think you're looking at the wrong side. You've got to look at 376/6 in the first innings to 387 all out -- again a bit of a mini-collapse. And the catch that K L Rahul dropped -- Jamie Smith on five,' Karthik said on Sky Sports.
'How much do those things matter to you? Those are the conversations you need to have. There were moments India could have gone ahead -- and they couldn't, for the third time this series,' he added.
For Hussain, it was Ben Stokes' pinpoint throw to run out Rishabh Pant for 74 just before lunch on Day 3 that proved decisive.
'When you look back, that Rishabh Pant run out in India's first innings will be absolutely vital to this game. With the ball, in the field, with the bat --Stokes is never out of the game!' Hussain said.
In the opening hour of the final day, Stokes and tearaway quick Jofra Archer reduced India to 82/7. Jadeja gave England a scare with his unbeaten 61, but his effort went in vain when Shoaib Bashir's delivery spun past Siraj's bat and hit the stumps. Siraj collapsed to his knees, heartbroken, as England players rushed to console him.
'This will be a tough one for India to take. If we had those pie charts up about who has won sessions in this series, they've won so many. They've played so much good cricket. But they're 2-1 down because of the key moments -- little collapses, dropped catches, Pant's run out here at Lord's,' Hussain said.
'India need a break. If we had back-to-back Test matches, this would be hard for them.'
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