Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed disappointment with the Indian batting unit after their 22-run loss to England in the third Test at Lord’s. Chasing 193 for victory, India collapsed to 170 all out, despite efforts from Ravindra Jadeja (61*) and KL Rahul (39). No other batter crossed the 20-run mark, raising concerns about the top order’s approach and mindset under pressure.
Speaking at a public event on Tuesday, Ganguly remarked that the team should have chased down the target, considering the strength of the batting lineup. “A little bit disappointed. With the way India batted in this series, they should have got this 190. When you saw Jadeja fight and score the runs, with the batting quality in this team, they will be more disappointed than I am,” he said.
Ganguly also pointed out that if there had been even a small contribution from the top order, India could have easily sealed the win. “If there was even a little bit of fight from the top, this game would have been India’s match,” he added.
Jadeja Earns Praise, While Others Fail to Deliver
While the top order failed, Ravindra Jadeja once again proved to be India’s key performer. Ganguly praised the all-rounder and called him a special player who continues to grow with experience. “Jadeja has been exceptional. He’s going to continue to play for India as long as he bats and performs like this. He’s a special player and a very important part of this team,” Ganguly said.
Jadeja, who now has over 80 Test matches and more than 200 ODIs to his name, stood firm during the collapse and nearly pulled off a late rescue. However, the lack of support from the rest of the batting order left him stranded.
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir is also believed to be frustrated by the poor show of other all-rounders in the side. Washington Sundar was out for a four-ball duck, and Nitish Kumar Reddy managed only 13 from 53 deliveries.
As the series stands 2-1 in England’s favor, India will need to regroup and rethink their batting strategy ahead of the crucial fourth Test in Manchester.
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