A truly thrilling battle! India and England are in the midst of a thrilling battle in the ongoing Lord’s Test. Batting first, the hosts, England, scored 387 runs in the first innings. India was also all out for the same number of runs. This is the first time such a scene has been seen in a Test since 2015. Although there are nine such examples in total. The equal score of 387 runs by both the teams in the first innings is the fifth highest.
Like India-England, the highest number of Tests with equal scores in the first innings ended in a draw. Whether the Lord’s Test will also go in that direction or not will be known in the next two days. Even the result of this third Test of the series will be decided in the second innings and the last two days of the match. After England, India was also bowled out for 387 runs, the hosts Ben Stokes started the second innings in the late afternoon yesterday. At the end of the third day, their total was 2 runs for no wickets.
Although there was a chance to take the lead in the first innings, India lost four wickets for 11 runs in the end. For them, Lokesh Rahul scored a maximum of 100, Rishabh Pant 74 and Ravindra Jadeja 72 runs. Pacer Chris Woakes took the highest number of 3 wickets for England. Apart from this, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, who returned to Tests after four years, took two wickets each.
So far, in only eight matches in the history of Tests have the first innings of two teams ended with the same number of runs. This happened for the first time at Lord’s and for the ninth time overall. The first such incident was seen in the match between South Africa and England in 1910. Both teams scored 199 runs in the first innings. The last time the same scene was staged was in 2015 in Leeds, in the England vs New Zealand Test. That time both teams scored 350 runs. In the ongoing Test, Root-Stokes scored slowly against the Indian bowlers. Which is an exception in this series. Similarly, the Indian batters did not appear aggressive in front of the opponent.
In the tense battle between India and England at Lord’s, some external behaviors are also increasing the tension of the match. The heat of the match increased further in the last 10 minutes of the third day. There was a 10-minute break after the end of India’s innings. Even then, two overs of England’s second innings could have been played in the time available. However, England resorted to tactics to prevent wickets from falling while playing Jasprit Bumrah.
England’s openers deliberately came out late at the start of the second innings so that they did not have to play more than one over. In addition, opener Jack Crawley wasted time by pretending to be injured. Because of this, Gill and Bumrah applauded them in response. Then, the umpires ended the day’s play after the hosts finished batting for one over.
FAQ
What happened in the India vs England Test match at Lord’s?
Both teams scored exactly 387 runs in their first innings, creating a rare and thrilling situation in Test cricket at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
How rare is it for both teams to score the same total in a Test match?
It’s extremely rare. While draws and tied totals can happen, both teams scoring the exact same number in an innings is unusual in Test cricket history.
Who were the top performers in the match?
Exact names would depend on the scorecard, but both teams likely had standout batters and bowlers who contributed to the identical scores.
Has this ever happened before at Lord’s?
This is one of the rare instances at Lord’s where both sides matched scores so closely, adding to the venue’s rich history of dramatic matches.
What does this mean for the match result?
The equal first-innings scores make the match extremely balanced, increasing the tension and excitement heading into the remaining days.