"Indian team gathering in the Long Room to welcome Bumrah, Shami was the moment of the match" - VVS Laxman
Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman believes the best moment of India's emphatic Test win at Lord's was when the entire team welcomed Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah upon India's second innings declaration.
The duo added a sensational 89 runs for the ninth wicket and virtually batted England out of the game. Shami scored a fine unbeaten 56 while Bumrah made a handy 34 without giving up his wicket. Thanks to their efforts, India went from a losing position to that of calling the shots.
Shami and Bumrah were welcomed by the Indian team, who had come down from the dressing room into the Lord's Long Room after Virat Kohli declared with the score at 298/8.
In his column for the TOI, VVS Laxman expressed his thoughts on India's epic win at Lord's.
"The moment of the match for me was off the field, when the entire Indian contingent came down from the dressing room and gathered at the Long Room to welcome these two warriors back at the lunch break. If ever there was an example of celebrating their mates’ success," Laxman asserted.
India didn't deviate from the central theme - team before self: VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman believes there were a number of individual performances which came together to give India a memorable win at Lord's. When the opposition attacked Bumrah with a barrage of verbal duels, the Indians were equal to it in the field.
This showed that Virat Kohli and his men were not ready to be bullied and VVS Laxman reckons the idea of putting the team before the self was preserved. He hailed India's pace attack for bowling out England inside 60 overs on a pitch that wasn't offering much help.
"This was a win for the collective. There were several outstanding individual performances, but India didn’t deviate from the central theme – 'team before self' — which was most heartening to see. To have the belief that 60 overs was enough time for the four-pronged pace attack to bowl England out a second time on what was a slow, placid surface shows how far India have come as a Test force," VVS Laxman concluded.
India and England will face-off for the third Test at Headingley, Leeds on August 25th.