Could Zinger Bails Have Saved India From Heartbreak At Lord’s? Dinesh Karthik Reveals Why

India came painfully close to a stunning win at Lord’s, but just fell short by 22 runs. Ravindra Jadeja stayed unbeaten on 61 from 181 balls, trying his best to carry the team home. With the lower order giving everything they had, it looked like something special was on the cards.

Zinger Bails Could’ve Made a Difference

Dinesh Karthik, former Indian cricketer and now a commentator, shared an interesting thought after the match. He believes that Mohammed Siraj might not have been out if zinger bails were being used instead of the regular ones.

“If it were zinger bail, probably it wouldn’t have even fallen because it’s pretty heavy in itself. (The ball) Hit the rough and went around, it almost felt like it had to happen because of how the match was panning out, but great effort from India,” Karthik said on Sky Sports.

Siraj had dug in and was defending with all his heart. But one ball from Shoaib Bashir trickled back and barely clipped the stumps. The bail dropped, and Siraj sank to his knees, crushed.

Siraj’s Strange Dismissal Leaves Fans Confused

Even Nasser Hussain, who was watching closely, wasn’t sure at first whether the bail had come off. It happened so subtly, without the usual flash or bounce.

“I thought it hadn’t come out (the bails). I looked and Siraj did that (bent his head) and it (bails) was on the ground… Neither Jadeja nor Stokes deserves to be on that losing side,” Hussain said.

It was a heartbreaking end to what had been a real fightback from India. After being 112/8, they came alive thanks to Jadeja, Bumrah, and Siraj.

Jadeja’s Grit and Support from the Tail

Jadeja held things together brilliantly, showing patience and courage. He kept the hopes alive as he batted through a long and tense afternoon session.

Bumrah also played his part, blocking everything for 54 balls and adding 5 precious runs. Siraj stuck around too, scoring 4 from 30 balls. Together, they made sure England had to work for every single wicket.

At tea, India were 163/9. Only 30 runs away from what would’ve been one of their most memorable Test wins. The crowd at Lord’s couldn’t take their eyes off the action.

A Loss, But Not Without Pride

Even though the match slipped away, Karthik praised the spirit India showed.

“They can take a lot of happiness out of the way they fought in that middle session,” he said.

In the end, it was just one of those matches where every little thing mattered. Maybe if the bails were heavier, maybe if the ball missed the stumps by a whisker—it could’ve been different.

But what India gave fans was a reminder of how powerful fight and belief can be, even when the odds are stacked high.

ALSO READ: Los Angeles Olympics 2028: Cricket Action Starts In T20 Format From July 12