Great for Test cricket: Jonathan Trott praises Lord’s red-ball classic-OxBig News Network

Former England batter Jonathan Trott has reflected on the dramatic finish to the iconic third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where pressure peaked during the final moments of the last day. With both India and England pushing relentlessly to go 2-1 up in the five-match series, the final session turned into one of the most tense battles in recent red-ball memory.

Now serving as Afghanistan’s men’s head coach, Trott remains optimistic about the competitive spirit displayed by both sides. “It was so tense-nail-biting stuff. I’m not sure I’ve got any nails left! It’s obviously a sad way for the game to end, but someone had to win. I think this is great for Test cricket: a bit of spice, a bit of edginess on the field. As long as the teams get along off the field and there’s no carry-over to the fourth Test, we’re good. It’s been played really hard out there. I can’t wait to see who comes out on top,” Trott said while speaking on JioHotstar.

ENG vs IND, 3rd TEST HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD

Ravindra Jadeja’s resilience once again came to the fore when India needed it the most. Amid growing questions over his form in recent months, the left-hander-who has held the No. 1 Test all-rounder ranking since March 2022-reminded everyone why he’s still one of the best in the longest format. With India staring down the barrel after losing eight wickets by lunch, it seemed only a matter of time before England wrapped things up. But Jadeja, refusing to back down, dug deep and stitched together a gritty stand with tailenders Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. While he couldn’t quite take India over the line, his fighting spirit in the toughest moments earned widespread respect and applause.

Trott praised Jadeja for his balance of caution and intent, which gave India a real chance in the tricky fourth-innings chase. Rather than over-analyse the effort, he chose to highlight the batter’s composure and smart shot selection-a contrast to others who failed to deliver when it mattered.

“Hindsight is a beautiful thing. I think Jadeja played incredibly well. I don’t see the point in over-analysing him. He manoeuvred himself and the team excellently. He’s battled, left well, and had a bit of luck. The ball was spinning away, and yes, there was temptation to attack Bashir. But had he slogged and gotten out, we’d be saying he threw it away. I thought he played exceptionally. The other batters will probably reflect and ask themselves: why couldn’t I have done what Jadeja did to give us a chance?” Trott said.

One truth stands firm: Ravindra Jadeja gave it everything. He stood tall under pressure and nearly scripted a Headingley-like miracle-much like Ben Stokes in the 2019 Ashes. This time, though, the fairytale ending wasn’t meant to be.

– Ends