England Vs India 2018: Know Your Iconic Venue - Lord's
Updated - 08 Aug 2018, 09:08 PM
Not many visiting teams have the ability to bounce back from a really painful and narrow defeat to stage a miraculous comeback. This Indian team, however, is exceptional in many ways and can stage an audacious comeback against England at Lord’s. So far, England vs India Test series opener has offered us everything before we witness another exciting contest at Lord’s. Visitors might have started off on a losing note, but that surely won’t deter the morale of Virat Kohli and his men.
Lord’s typically has been a happy hunting ground for the teams from the subcontinent. If the last five Tests are anything to go by, India’s prospects of doing well in this game are quite high.
While Pakistan team has won here twice in their previous couple of tours, Sri Lanka too registered a couple of draws to their name at this particular venue.
From India’s front, there is plenty of scope for improvement, especially from the batting point of view. Barring the ever-magnificent skipper Kohli, none of the batters displayed a zeal for a serious fight.
On a ground that remains the most elusive one in world cricket, it is time for India to play like the No.1 Test side and stage a daunting comeback.
England Vs India 2018: PREVIOUS GAME AT VENUE:
The last time England played a Test at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s, it was barely a couple of months back against Pakistan. That game, however, was an absolute nightmare as the visitors decimated the hosts by nine wickets.
Well, the Test ended straight on the fourth day, as Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas took eight wickets in the game. Abbas drew comparisons with veteran Mohammad Asif.
For England, the Test was an absolute eye opener as the side gelled pretty well despite the drubbing.
In the very next game of the series, England came back hard at Pakistan – to level the series and save themselves of some severe humiliation.
ENGLAND’S RECORD AT VENUE:
Despite being the most-talked-about venue, Lord’s hasn’t served the greatest of records for England. The side has played 134 Tests out here, out of which 53 have been in winning causes.
However, given the stature of the ground, England’s win loss ratio out here isn’t the best as the rate stands at a figure of 1.656.
Roughly just 37 per cent of the games played here has ended up in draws. Eventually, it speaks about the result oriented nature of the venue, and how one can expect a sure shot result for the game to follow.
INDIA’S RECORD AT VENUE:
Lord’s has yielded a decent run for team India, in recent time. Well, time is the key here, as, during India’s initial years as a Test outfit, the side struggled colossally and subsequently lost plenty of games.
With a total of 17 games by India at this venue, there have been just a couple of victories.
11 losses have shadowed the two wins and this is a figure which Virat Kohli would be eager to improve. India’s win here came in 1986 and 2014, the latter being the team’s only Test win on the previous tour.
The 2014 game was best known for Ajinkya Rahane’s aggressive century on day one and Ishant Sharma’s spell which rocked England with career best figures of seven for 74.
From the numbers front, India’s best batsman at Lord’s has been Dilip Vengsarkar, with 508 runs in four Tests and three tons to his name. The Mumbai icon remains the only Indian batsman to have more than one century out here.
Surprisingly, the wickets tally for an Indian bowler at Lord’s is thoroughly dominated by a spinner. Yesteryear spin icon Bishan Bedi tops the list with 17 wickets in five innings.
PREVIOUS BATTLE BETWEEN TEAMS:
The Test at Birmigham was a heartbreaking episode for the Indians as skipper Kohli’s heroics couldn’t get India past the winning line.
Kohli’s 149 in the first innings was among the greatest knocks played by an Indian batsman. He single handedly took on the English bowlers.
The other batsmen though struggled colossally. And the top order seemed like a pack of cards which could collapse any moment. For India to make a comeback at Lord’s, it is highly essential for the top order to muster the responsibility.
CONDITIONS:
Given the present heat wave in London right now, the conditions have been arid. As per the curator, all the moisture of the track has dried down. And it shouldn’t be a surprise if both teams field two spinners in their ranks.
Despite the presence of grass on the surface, it wouldn’t offer much to the pacers as the sun has baked the pitch down completely.
PREDICTION:
