‘Some games are more than wins or losses….’: KL Rahul’s hearfelt note after Lord’s loss

LONDON: Indian opener KL Rahul penned a heartfelt note following the team’s loss to England during the third Test at Lord’s, saying that “some games are more than wins or losses”.

An unfortunate dismissal of Mohammed Siraj at the hands of Shoaib Bashir, with the ball rolling back into the stumps after a landing on the pitch, marked the end of India’s stubborn resistance at Lord’s, with Ravindra Jadeja left stranded following a heartbreaking 22-run loss. India lost the match despite dominating England for large parts of the game, with one of the standout performers being Rahul, who became only the second Indian to achieve his name on the Lord’s Honours Board on more than one occasion.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Rahul said, “Some games are more than wins or losses. They test your spirit, your character. And the learnings make you stronger.”
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In the ongoing series, KL has scored 375 runs in three matches and six innings at an average of 62.50, with a best score of 137, two centuries and a fifty. He is the fourth-highest run-getter in the series. This series has greatly improved his batting average in England, taking it from the 30s to the early 40s. In 12 Tests in England, he has made 989 runs at an average of 41.20, with four centuries and two fifties in 24 innings. His best score in England is 149.

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Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to bat first. England was reduced to 44/2, but a 109-run stand between Ollie Pope (44 in 104 balls, with four boundaries) and Joe Root (104 in 199 balls, with 10 fours) and a counter-attacking 84 run stand for the eighth wicket stand between Brydon Carse (56 in 83 balls, with six fours and a six) and Jamie Smith (51 in 56 balls, with six fours) took England to 387.

Jasprit Bumrah (5/74) was the highlight for India with the ball.

In the second innings, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal early, but a 61-run stand between Karun Nair (26 in 46 balls, with five fours) and KL Rahul and a 141-run stand between KL (100 in 177 balls, with 13 fours) and Rishabh Pant (74 in 112 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) took India close to England’s score. A brilliant half-century from Ravindra Jadeja (72 in 131 balls, with eight fours and a six) and lower-order contributions from Nitish Kumar Reddy (30) and Washington Sundar (23) took India to 387, with nothing separating the sides.

Chris Woakes (3/84) was the top bowler for England in this innings.

In England’s second innings, India continuously kept England under pressure, except for a 67-run fifth wicket stand between Root (40 in 96 balls, with a four) and Stokes (33 in 96 balls, with three fours). Sundar (4/22) delivered a game-changer spell, running through the middle-order and bundling out England for 192. India was set 193 to win.

During the run-chase, Team India was reduced to 82/7. However, Jadeja (61* in 181 balls, with four boundaries and a six) was not in the mood to give up. He put up resilient partnerships with the lower-order batters that put England under tension, but Mohammed Siraj’s unlucky dismissal, where the ball spun back to the stumps following its landing on the pitch, hurt a million hearts as India was bundled out for 170.

India trails 1-2 in the series. Stokes won the ‘Player of the Match’ for his handy knocks of 44 and 33 and a total of five wickets in the match, including a three-wicket haul taken in the second innings in tandem with Jofra Archer, who also got three wickets. (ANI)