King Charles has praised the thrilling conclusion of the third Test between England and India, describing it as “very exciting to watch” as he hosted the Indian cricket team at Clarence House. The match, held at Lord’s, was decided in the final session when England spinner Shoaib Bashir, playing with a suspected broken finger, bowled a delivery that deflected off Indian batsman Mohammed Siraj’s bat and spun back onto the stumps, securing England’s victory by 23 runs.
The King sympathised with Indian captain Shubman Gill over the unlucky dismissal, remarking, “really annoying just to touch the bails.” Gill later recounted their conversation, saying Charles had asked how the team felt after the match, and they expressed hope for better luck in the remaining games. The victory leaves England 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.
Alongside the men’s team, the Indian women’s cricket squad, also playing in England, attended the event. Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami introduced the players, stating, “cricket is our religion and these are our deities.” Actor Idris Elba, present for a later engagement, briefly joined the gathering and told the captain he played a bit of cricket but was not an expert.
Charles posed for a group photograph with both teams and officials before departing for a Youth Opportunity Summit. The Test match, marked by confrontations between players, saw mutual respect between the captains, with Gill noting that both teams showed “a lot of passion and pride” in their efforts.
