Former England speedster Steve Harmison reckons that if India batting great Virat Kohli was there in the playing XI against his former side at Lord's, the Shubman Gill-led side would have easily won the game and soared to a 2-1 lead in the five-match series of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
After the end of three days of high-voltage third Test, India and England remained inseparable, with both posting 387 each in the first innings. India's spirited bowling forced England to be bundled out for 192, which raised India's hopes of taking a lead in the series.
However, India's top batting order collapsed as England's speedsters picked up four wickets by the end of four day, and the visitors were reeling at 58/4. In the opening hour of the final day, tearaway Jofra Archer and captain Ben Stokes rubbed salt on India's wounds and left them threadbare at 82/7.
Fast bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made a steady stand with Ravindra Jadeja but he lost his wicket after giving a faint edge to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith off Chris Woakes. Jadeja batted his heart out with tail-enders Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, but the battle they waged ended in vain as England scripted a 22-run triumph. Harmison felt that if India had its 'chase master' and former Test batter Virat, the result would have completely turned around.
"India has scored more hundreds, more top-order runs, and more new ball wickets, but England has got a knack of finding a way to win. Finding a way of creating an event throughout a session to change the course of the game. For me, India has to start believing. This is where the likes of Virat Kohli were unbelievable. In a fourth innings chase, he goes and wins the game comfortably. He would have won that game comfortably at Lord's," Harmison said in ESPNcricinfo Match Day.
Virat has announced his Test retirement on May 12 during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, more than a month before India's tour of England. The batting maestro Kohli made 123 appearances in white clothing, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties in 210 innings and the best score of 254*. He is India's fourth-highest run-getter in the format, behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs), Rahul Dravid (13,265 runs) and Sunil Gavaskar (10,122 runs).