New Delhi, July 15 (NationPress) Former England cricketer Jonathan Trott humorously remarked that the thrilling conclusion to the third Test between India and England at Lord's left him with no nails left to bite.

On the final day, India needed 135 runs with six wickets remaining after ending Day 4 at 58/4.

While defending a target of 193, Jofra Archer (3-55) and Ben Stokes (3-48) took three wickets each, with Brydon Carse (2-30) and Chris Woakes (1-21) providing effective support, enabling the home team to secure victory. England triumphed by 22 runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

“Once again, a match decided by the narrowest of margins - just 22 runs today. We witnessed Siraj being consoled, which is exactly the spirit we want to see. It’s been a hard-fought battle over five days, and then handshakes all around. One team had to emerge victorious, and this time it was England,” Trott commented on JioHotstar.

“It was incredibly tense - absolutely nail-biting. I’m not sure I’ve got any nails left! While it’s a disappointing way for the game to conclude, a winner was inevitable. I believe this is fantastic for Test cricket - it adds a bit of spice and tension on the field. As long as the teams maintain camaraderie off the pitch without any carry-over into the fourth Test, we’re all good. The match was played with great intensity. I eagerly await to see who will prevail,” he added.

Archer initiated the onslaught on the final day, setting the tone by dismissing Rishabh Pant in just the third over after the resumption of play.

KL Rahul, who appeared solid with a brisk 39 off 58 balls at the opening, was the next casualty, falling victim to a sharp delivery from Ben Stokes.

Archer made a spectacular catch to remove Washington Sundar, marking his third wicket and leaving India in a precarious position at 82 for 7.

A flicker of resistance came from Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who began to construct a promising partnership. However, just before lunch, Chris Woakes broke their momentum, bringing England closer to a win.

Following the break, Jasprit Bumrah supported Jadeja, but the resistance crumbled when the pacer mishit a pull shot off Stokes, finding substitute fielder Sam Cook.

Jadeja, currently the top-ranked all-rounder in Test cricket, continued to display determination, achieving his fourth consecutive half-century of the series. However, it wasn’t sufficient to halt England’s progress.

The match concluded when Shoaib Bashir's delivery grazed Mohammed Siraj’s bat and trickled onto the stumps, bowling India out for 170, securing a memorable victory and series lead for England.

Praising Jadeja's resilient unbeaten half-century, Trott noted that the all-rounder performed admirably under challenging circumstances.

“Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Jadeja played remarkably well. Overanalyzing his performance is unnecessary. He maneuvered himself and the team excellently, battled hard, left deliveries well, and enjoyed a bit of luck. The ball was spinning away, and yes, there was temptation to attack Bashir. But had he gone for a slog and been dismissed, we’d be saying he squandered the chance. I thought he played exceptionally. The other batters will likely reflect and wonder - why couldn’t I have done what Jadeja did to give us a fighting chance?”