India's Test wins against England at the mecca of cricket
A look at the history of India's Test wins at Lord's suggests the Men in Blue have taken a while to establish their foothold in the mecca of cricket. However, two wins in their last three outings speaks to the strength of the Indian side to win abroad. Team India has been part of three memorable victories at the iconic venue to date.
On that note, let's revisit India's Test wins at Lord's:
#3 England vs India, first Test - 1986
India's first Test win at Lord's came in 1986 under the legendary Kapil Dev's leadership. Batting first, England managed to score 294 runs. In reply, India rode on Dilip Vengsarkar's superb hundred to gain a slender 47-run lead.
The hosts were bundled out for just 180 in the second innings. Kapil Dev tormented the hosts with figures of 4-52, leaving India a target of 134 to chase. Despite a few early hiccups, India managed to knock off England's total and register an incredible five-wicket win at Lord's.
#2. England vs India, second Test - 2014
Amongst the best of India's Test wins at Lord's was the one in 2014 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Chasing a target of 319, England were cruising at 173-4. However, Ishant Sharma wreaked havoc by picking up five of the remaining six wickets to help India win a Test match at Lord's after 28 years!
Sharma ended with figures of 7-74, his career-best till date, and won the Man of the Match award for his efforts.
#1. England vs India, second Test - 2021
Team India's victory at Lord's on Monday will go down in the annals of Indian cricket. With a lead of 154 heading into day five, India lost the crucial wicket of Rishabh Pant early on. However, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah put on a crucial 89-run stand to give England a target of 272 to chase with little under two sessions to go.
In response, England lost both their openers inside the first two overs. Although Joe Root and Jos Buttler tried to provide some resistance, the hosts kept losing early wickets. They were eventually bowled out for just 120 runs. It was arguably the best amongst India's Test wins against England at Lord's.