"They probably should have won that game" - Former cricketer's massive statement after India level ENG vs IND 2025 Tests 2-2

Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes that India missed an opportunity by slipping in the third Test against England at Lord's, which made a massive contribution to the series scoreline of 2-2 in the end. The Men in Blue had an opportunity to claim a valuable lead in the five-match affair, but lost their way during the fourth innings run chase, eventually falling short by 22 runs.

The visitors were handed a 193-run target after both sides posted the same first innings score. However, they crumbled in the final stages of Day 4 of the contest, as well as in the formative stages of Day 5 to be on the backfoot. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja kept India afloat with a valiant half-century, while batting with the lower-order.

From 82-7, the team recovered to 170-9 as they kept chipping away at the target. But a regulation defence by Mohammed Siraj by Shoaib Bashir in the final session backfired as the ball made its way to the stumps after bouncing near the crease.

Monty Panesar praised the new-look unit led by Shubman Gill for going toe-to-toe with England, but felt they could have walked away with even more, especially by winning at Lord's.

"After a heavy workload of the IPL, India goes and plays a five-Test match series. Every given moment, they turned up. At Old Trafford, they drew the Test match. At Lords, it could have been anyone's game. They probably should have won that game, but England were very lucky with that wicket of Siraj," Panesar said in an interview with the Hindustan Times.

"At the Oval, they were brilliant. At the Oval, on the 5th day, overcast conditions, everything went in their favour. So, I think India played better cricket. I think the Oval Test match victory was probably, actually, the moment when it showed that India won the series," he added.

They avoided a series defeat with a hard-fought, narrow, six-run win over England in the fifth Test at The Oval. The Men in Blue had won far more sessions over the course of the series, but had often crumbled in big moments.

"Everyone thought England would win the contest" - Monty Panesar on new-look India making a statement in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Team India were rocked back after the senior pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from the longest format of the game ahead of the 2025 tour of England. With Ravichandran Ashwin already out of the equation after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, the team were without three of their most experienced players ahead of a challenging assignment.

Newly-appointed skipper Shubman Gill had a massive responsibility on his shoulders, while the rest of the team also highlighted inexperience across all departments.

Not many branded them as favorites to outclass a well-honed English side in their own backyard, but the young side certainly made their presence felt.

"Well, I think everyone took it by surprise. When Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin retired, everyone thought England would win the contest. But it shows the strength of Indian cricket," Panesar said.

The 2-2 result means that they end up in the third spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings after their first assignment of the 2025-27 cycle.