Watch- Jasprit Bumrah attacked in Lord's Test, play stopped

The opening day of the ongoing third Test between India and England at Lord’s took an unexpected turn when an unusual pitch invader brought the game to a brief halt.

As England was battling to put up a strong first-innings total, things turned chaotic in the 81st over when a swarm of ladybirds suddenly took over the field at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.

It all began just after India opted for the second new ball. Akash Deep was ready to bowl to England skipper Ben Stokes when Jasprit Bumrah, standing at mid-off, looked irritated as a bunch of flying bugs suddenly swarmed onto the field.

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Swarm of ladybirds interrupts England’s innings on Day 1 at Lord's

Within moments, ladybirds were buzzing around the players, especially Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Akash Deep, and Jasprit Bumrah on Day 1 at Lord’s.

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Stokes was seen talking to umpire Paul Reiffel, and he was visibly annoyed with the bizarre interruption as they were focused on stretching the partnership.

With bugs swarming in his line of sight, the England all-rounder repeatedly swatted the air and eventually pulled away just as Akash was about to deliver the ball. Root and Stokes exchanged uneasy glances as umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Saikat briefly consulted each other.

Ladybirds interrupt Lord's Test, leaving Ben Stokes and Jasprit Bumrah frustrated

After a brief pause, Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula Saikat instructed the game to continue, as there is no official rule for insect interruptions. However, Jasprit Bumrah looked disturbed, captured by cameras, waving his hands in frustration as the insects refused to back off.

On the other hand, Ben Stokes was captured flinching and trying to get one of the flying insects out of his helmet. The tiny troublemakers managed to sneak inside the England captain’s gear, making things even more frustrating for him. Now, the clip of the bizarre incident is all over the internet.

A swarm of ladybirds stops play at Lord's! 🐞😅 pic.twitter.com/49lKhYHXwn

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2025

Over the years, matches have been halted for some unusual reasons, like bee invasions and unexpected snake sightings, and now ladybirds have officially joined that list.

Read Also: Ravindra Jadeja insults Joe Root, throws open challenge before 100, hostile England crowd steps in

Flying bugs pause play, but Joe Root and Ben Stokes steer England to a solid finish on Day 1

Meanwhile, after a short break due to the flying bugs, the match resumed, and Ben Stokes calmly handled the rest of Akash’s deliveries. Only two overs were bowled after that before Day 1 ended with stumps being called at 83 overs.

England posted 251/4 at the stumps on day 1 with Joe Root unbeaten on 99 and Stokes on 39. They have already added an unbeaten 79 runs from 170 balls, and both will return on Day 2 to build a big first-innings total against India at Lord’s.

Earlier in the day, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash bowled tight lines, making life difficult for the English batters. But it was Nitish Kumar Reddy who gave India their crucial breakthroughs, removing Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley cheaply in the ongoing third Test.

Later on, Joe Root put together a solid 109-run partnership with Ollie Pope. That stand was finally broken when Ravindra Jadeja removed Pope, and soon after, Jasprit Bumrah sent Harry Brook back to the pavilion.