Unfortunate: When King Charles reacted to Mohammed Siraj's Lord's Test dismissal

India captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant** interacted with King Charles III at St James’s Palace in London on Tuesday, a day after the visiting team lost the Lord’s Test. King Charles was heard applauding the Indian side for their spirited performance in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy and reflected on the thrilling conclusion to the third Test.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Shubman Gill said the King expressed sympathy for Mohammed Siraj, who was dismissed in the final session on Day 5. According to reports in the English media, King Charles had watched the highlights of the enthralling encounter, which captivated cricket fans around the world.

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"It was a pleasure meeting the King. We had some really good conversations He did mention that the way our last batsman got out was very unfortunate. The ball rolled onto the stumps, and he was just asking how we were feeling after that," Gill said.

"We told him it was an unfortunate match for us. It could have gone either way. Hopefully, we’ll do better in the next two games," he added.

King Charles hosted both the Indian senior men’s and women’s teams at St James’s Palace on Tuesday. While the Gill-led men’s side are playing a five-Test series against England, the women’s team are engaged in a white-ball series as part of their preparation for the Women’s World Cup.

#WATCH | The United Kingdom: King Charles III pose with the players of the Indian Men's and Women's Cricket team, the coach, staff members and BCCI officials, at St. James's Palace in London. pic.twitter.com/YRhQPcXvuw— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025

At Lord’s on Monday, India refused to back down without a fight, despite being reduced to 82 for 7 in their pursuit of 193, after the top and middle order collapsed under the pressure of inspired pace bowling from Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.

Ravindra Jadeja mounted a valiant rearguard effort in an attempt to take India over the line. The all-rounder batted for nearly two sessions, scoring an unbeaten 61 off 181 balls. However, his tail-end partners, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, were dismissed despite putting up a commendable resistance.

With just 22 runs needed and 5.1 overs to go before the second new ball, India lost their final wicket—Siraj—in heartbreaking fashion. Growing in confidence with his defence, Siraj was bowled when a ball he played with a straight bat tailed back slightly and brushed the stumps, dislodging the bails and bringing India’s gritty fight to a close.

Reflecting on the match, Gill acknowledged the theatre and emotion the Lord’s Test delivered, saying both teams played with heart and intensity, once again highlighting the timeless charm of Test cricket.

"Definitely, the biggest winner was Test cricket. Both teams played with a lot of passion and pride. We gave it everything—mentally and physically. When a Test goes into the final session and the margin is just 20 runs, the true winner is the game itself," he said.

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India and England will resume their riveting Test series after an eight-day break. The fourth Test begins in Manchester on 23 July.

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