The pendulum has swung in England's favor following India's slim loss at Lord's, leaving the tourists trailing 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. With India getting ready for the crucial fourth Test, Gautam Gambhir's choices are now being questioned more and more after the defeat. In terms of Test cricket, Gambhir has not met the standards set by Rahul Dravid, who he succeeded as coach last year. For the first time in twelve years, India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia and a Test series to New Zealand at home under his leadership. He is now under increased pressure from the retirements of legends such as Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma, as every choice he makes is now subject to greater examination.

In the previous iteration, Team India was unable to advance to the WTC championship game for the first time, and the beginning of the new cycle has not been subpar, as evidenced by two losses in three games.

Even if his newly appointed captain Shubman Gill is not immune to criticism, his performance in the first two tests has helped to deflect attention. In the last two Tests, Gill has shown promising indications of leadership, including an aggressive on-field strategy and a readiness to take on the opposition head-on. With the home side running riot while defending a 193-run target, many thought that his aggression in England's second innings backfired for India, but it was a pleasant change nonetheless. Considering the previous occasions when England has succumbed to pressure when faced with an opposing captain who maintained an aggressive attitude on the pitch, it is improbable that Gill will change his strategy after just one defeat.

Which leads us to the issue. Following the Lord's loss, where does India go from here? First things first. In the Manchester Test, where they will have to make some significant decisions about the XI, they absolutely must rethink their strategy. Karun Nair, who hasn't impressed, is running out of time, if not already. Due to his exceptional home play and unwavering efforts to return, the right-handed pitcher was selected to the team. However, he has not yet established himself in the series, as he has not even managed to score a half-century thus far. Gambhir and Gill must determine who among them is better suited for the No. 3 position since Sai Sudharsan, who was benched after the first Test, is waiting in the wings.

In the last two Tests, the Indian bowling unit has brought the fight to the hosts, with noteworthy performances from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj at Edgbaston and Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar at Lord's.

The Tailenders Must Now Offer More Than Just Grit

In future games, though, Ravindra Jadeja will anticipate a little more contribution from the bottom order. Although Bumrah and Siraj showed tenacity with the bat at Lord's, India still needs more, right? The first innings at Lord's saw English pacer Brydon Carse hit 56, demonstrating a kind of lower-order tenacity that India's tailenders have had trouble imitating. At Lord's, Jadeja's partnerships with Siraj and Bumrah were a tenacious counterattack. The game seemed over and done when India was having trouble at 112/8 while chasing 193. But it wasn't. In the end, Jadeja received support from the lower order. He and Bumrah combined for a crucial 35 runs throughout 22 overs, bringing the game closer to the final two hours. With Jadeja, Siraj maintained a firm stand and kept England on edge even after Bumrah's dismissal. Despite ultimately coming up 22 runs short of India's victory, the tail has to figure out how to break free and score runs in addition to holding one end.

Even though the defeat at Lord's will be a bitter pill to swallow, Gill's new-age India still has the chance to rebound and seize the series, having already disrupted England's "Bazball" with two games remaining. India should not withdraw their aggressive on-field strategy in the aftermath of the defeat by the Lord. That intense focus is what has allowed the bowlers to maintain continuous pressure on England's hitters. The plan has, on the whole, been successful, even if there is a chance that it will reveal their own hitting. With two important Tests remaining, this is not the moment to turn defensive.

Read Also: Jadeja’s Lord’s Heroics Remind Buttler of Dhoni

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