Team India's Historic Test Victories at Lord's: A Journey Through Time

Upcoming Test Match at Lord's

Following their remarkable performance in the Edgbaston Test, Shubman Gill's Team India is set to face England in their third Test of the five-match series at the renowned Lord's Cricket Ground in London on July 10, Thursday.

Team India's Record at Lord's

This match will mark Team India's 20th appearance at the iconic venue, where they have secured only three victories in their previous 19 matches, with 12 losses and four draws. The victories occurred in 1986, 2014, and most recently in 2021.

Historic Win in 1986 Under Kapil Dev

Before 1986, India had played at Lord's ten times from 1932 to 1982 without a win, suffering eight losses and two draws. This changed when Kapil Dev led the team to their first Test victory at this historic ground, defeating England by five wickets.

Choosing to bowl first, the Indian bowlers, led by Chetan Sharma, dismissed England for 294, despite Graham Gooch's 114 and Derek Pringle's resilient 63. Chetan took five wickets, while Roger Binny claimed three.

In India's first innings, they gained a 47-run lead, scoring 341, with Dilip Vengsarkar contributing an impressive 126 and Mohinder Amarnath adding 69.

With a 47-run lead, England hoped to regain control in their second innings, but Indian bowlers, including Kapil Dev and Maninder Singh, restricted them to 180, setting a target of 134 runs for India.

India successfully chased down the target, thanks to key partnerships, including a 57-run stand between Vengsarkar and Amarnath, culminating in a historic five-wicket victory.

MS Dhoni's Leadership Ends 28-Year Wait

After their 1986 victory, India faced a long winless period at Lord's, losing three matches and drawing twice from 1990 to 2011. This streak ended in 2014 when MS Dhoni's team achieved a memorable 95-run victory over England.

Batting first, India scored 295, led by Ajinkya Rahane's solid 103 and a crucial 90-run partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who contributed 36 runs. England's James Anderson took four wickets.

In England's first innings, they managed a slight lead, scoring 319, with Gary Ballance scoring 110. Bhuvneshwar Kumar excelled with a six-wicket haul for India.

In their second innings, India scored 342, with significant contributions from Murali Vijay (95), Ravindra Jadeja (68), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52), setting a target of 319 for England.

Ishant Sharma's remarkable bowling performance (7/74) led to England's collapse for 223, securing India's second win at Lord's after 28 years.

Virat Kohli's Team Delivers '60 Overs of Hell'

The 2021 Test at Lord's is remembered as one of the most thrilling matches, where Virat Kohli's pace attack delivered what has been dubbed '60 overs of hell,' leading to India's third victory at this iconic venue.

After being put to bat first, India scored 364, with KL Rahul's outstanding 129 and a strong opening partnership with Rohit Sharma (83). Kohli, Pant, and Jadeja also made valuable contributions.

England took a 27-run lead in their first innings, scoring 391, with Joe Root's impressive 180. Mohammed Siraj led India's bowling with four wickets.

In their second innings, India declared at 298/8, setting a target of 272 runs for England. The Indian bowlers then executed a brilliant performance, with Siraj (4/32), Bumrah (3/33), and Ishant (2/13) dismantling the English batting order for just 120 runs.

This victory not only marked India's third win at Lord's but also showcased their aggressive and passionate approach to Test cricket.