ENG vs IND: Revisiting Team India’s 3 memorable Test victories against England at Lord’s

Team India’s three memorable Test wins at Lord’s came in 1986 (Kapil Dev), 2014 (MS Dhoni), and 2021 (Virat Kohli). Each triumph featured iconic performances and dramatic moments, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cricket history.

After the historic Edgbaston Test, Shubman Gill-led Team India will play their third Test of the five-match series against England at iconic Lord’s in London on July 10, Thursday.

The upcoming match at Lord’s will be Team India’s 20th appearance at the Home of Cricket, where they have managed to win only three matches in their previous 19 outings, losing 12 and drawing 4. Those three victories came in 1986, 2014, and most recently in 2021.

However, Team India’s each victory at Lord’s has their own place in history, etched with drama, resilience, and iconic individual performances that defined eras and inspired generations of Indian cricket.

Kapil Dev and his boys scripted a historic first in 1986

Team India had traveled to Lord’s 10 times from 1932 to 1982 to play a Test match against England but failed to register a single win, losing 8 and drawing twice. However, that changed in 1986, when Kapil Dev led India to their first-ever Test victory at the iconic venue, defeating England by five wickets.

Opting to bowl first, the Chetan Sharma-led attack bundled out England for 294, despite Graham Gooch’s 114 and a gritty innings of 63 off 244 balls by Derek Pringle. Chetan registered a five-wicket haul, while Roger Binny picked three wickets. In India’s first innings, the visitors took a 47-run lead before being bowled out for 341, thanks to Dilip Vengsarkar’s unbeaten innings of 126 off 213 balls and 69 off 241 balls by Mohinder Amarnath.

With a 47-run lead, England assumed their second innings would help them regain control. Still, the Indian bowlers struck again, with skipper Kapil Dev and Maninder Singh dismantling the hosts’ batting line-up and bundling them out for 180, setting an easy 134-run target for India to chase with a day to spare.

Chasing 134, Team India rode on solid partnerships, including a crucial 57-run stand between Dilip Vengsarkar (33) and Mohinder Amarnath (8) for the third wicket, and an unbeaten 26-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Ravi Shastri (20) and Kapil Dev (23) to script a historic five-wicket win — their first-ever Test victory at Lord’s.

MS Dhoni-led Team India ended a 28-year Test drought at Lord’s

After 1986, Team India once again endured a winless streak at Lord’s, losing 3 matches and drawing twice in five outings from 1990 to 2011. In 2014, MS Dhoni-led India ended their 28-year wait for their second victory with a memorable 95-run win over England at the Home of Cricket.

Put to bat first by England skipper Alastair Cook, India were bundled out for 295, thanks to Ajinkya Rahane’s gritty yet solid knock of 103 off 154 balls and a vital 90-run stand for the eighth wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who scored a crucial 36 off 84 balls. For hosts, James Anderson led the bowling attack with a four-wicket haul, while Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes picked up two wickets each.

In England’s first innings batting, the hosts took a slender 24-run lead before being bowled out for 319. The Three Lions rode on Garry Ballance’s 110-run innings and an unbeaten 55 by Liam Plunkett. For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling attack with a brilliant six-wicket haul, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets.

Trailing by 24 runs, Team India assumed their second innings batting would require grit and resilience, and they did it. The visitors were bundled out for 342, thanks to vital contributions by Murali Vijay (95), Ravindra Jadeja (68), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52), and set a 319-run target for England to chase. The visitors were looking to draw the match, but Ishant Sharma rattled their batting line-up with his fiery spell of 7/74 at an economy rate of 3.21 in 23 overs.

England were bundled out for 223, and Team India clinched their second win at Lord’s after 28 years. Ishant Sharma was awarded Player of the Match for his bowling brilliance on the final day of the Lord’s Test in 2014.

‘60 overs of hell’ by Virat Kohli’s pace bowlers

The 2021 Lord’s Test between England and India was considered one of the most dramatic and fiercely contested matches in recent memory, when Virat Kohli’s pace battery delivered what is famously known as ‘60 overs of hell’ to hand India their third Test victory at the iconic venue.

After being put to bat first by England captain Joe Root, India were bundled out for 364. The hosts rode on KL Rahul’s incredible innings of 129 off 250 balls and his opening 126-run stand with Rohit Sharma (83). Virat Kohli (42), Rishabh Pant (38), and Ravindra Jadeja (40) also significantly contributed to India’s innings. For England, James Anderson led the bowling attack with his five-wicket haul, while Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood picked up two wickets each.

England assumed their first innings batting and the hosts took a 27-run lead before being bowled for 391, with skipper Joe Root unbeaten on 180 off 321 balls. Mohammed Siraj led India’s bowling attack with a four-wicket haul, while Ishant Sharma took three scalps and Mohammed Shami picked up two wickets.

Trailing by 27 runs, Team India took a 271-run lead and declared their second innings at 298/8, thanks to gritty innings by Ajinkya Rahane (61) and Cheteshwar Pujara (45), and a crucial unbeaten 89-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Mohammed Shami (56) and Jasprit Bumrah (34), and set a 272-run target for England to chase.

India declared their innings on the final day and had only 60 overs to bowl England out — and they spectacularly did just that. The visitors produced one of the most hostile spells in recent history. Mohammed Siraj (4/32), Jasprit Bumrah (3/33), and Ishant Sharma (2/13) dismantled England’s batting line-up and eventually bundled them out for 120 to clinch a 151-run victory.

The Lord’s crowd certainly expected a victory or a draw from England, but Team India, led by Virat Kohli, stunned the English spectators with fire and aggression. The victory marked India’s third triumph at the iconic Lord’s, and perhaps one of their most aggressive and emotionally charged Test wins on English soil.