What a match, and what irony that it should be settled England’s way by a No.11 defending an off-break like an opening batter – soft hands and with the middle of the bat. But that’s great Test cricket, unsurpassable drama decided as often by the innocuous moment as the grand gesture.

England has beaten India by 22 runs in the Lord’s test on the fifth and final day and taken a 2-1 lead in their five-test series.