London, July 15(HS): India's captain Shubman Gill hailed the team's resilience in the recent Lords Test despite falling short by 22 runs. India faced a dire situation on the last day, losing seven wickets for only 82 runs while requiring 111 runs to chase down a target of 192. Ravindra Jadeja's partnerships with lower-order batsmen Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammad Siraj, totaling 30, 35, and 23 runs respectively, brought India closer to victory. Gill praised Jadeja's performance, noting his impressive 61 runs off 99 balls over 30 overs, highlighting his value to the team as he scored a fifty for the fourth consecutive match in the series. He recognized that their batting rhythm had faltered in the last two days, contributing to their struggle.

The opening pair of Rahul and Karun Nair offered some stability after Yashasvi Jaiswal's early dismissal, but by the fourth day's end, India was at 58/4. Gill lamented the missed opportunities for significant partnerships in the top order that could have eased the batting challenges later on. Commenting on the on-field sledging, he mentioned the natural intensity of cricket and the absence of animosity between the teams.

Currently trailing 1-2 in the series, Gill feels India has often performed better but highlighted the need to minimize damage during tough sessions. He emphasized that with just a few more runs, they could have pressured England into mistakes, concluding that their effort over five days was commendable.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar