England Cricket Team Sets Unwanted Record in Test Against India

England's Struggles in the Third Test

During the third Test of the five-match series against Team India at Lord's on July 13, the England cricket team faced a challenging situation, resulting in an unwanted record. Starting their second innings on Day 4 with a score of 2/0, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were at the crease with scores of 2 and 0, respectively. The hosts needed to establish a significant lead after India was dismissed for 387, matching England's first-innings score. Tensions escalated on Day 3 following a heated exchange between Shubman Gill and Zak Crawley regarding the latter's alleged time-wasting tactics.

Unfortunately for England, they could not withstand the disciplined bowling attack, getting bowled out for just 192 runs in 62.1 overs. Joe Root emerged as the top scorer with 40 runs off 96 balls, while captain Ben Stokes added 33 runs from the same number of balls. The remaining batsmen struggled, with Harry Brook's 23 being the next highest score.

Historic Unwanted Record for England

With their total of 192, England set a rare and undesirable record in this Test series. They became the first team since 1899 to have three of the same batsmen dismissed in both innings of a Test match. In the first innings, Jasprit Bumrah took out Harry Brook, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes. In the second innings, Washington Sundar dismissed Root and Stokes, while Akash Deep bowled out Brook.

This incident marks England as the second team in Test cricket history, following South Africa in 1899, to have the same three batsmen dismissed in both innings of a match.

India's Bowling Dominance

After a strong performance in their first innings, England's batting faltered significantly, largely due to India's impressive bowling display, particularly from Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep, who effectively dismantled England's middle order and shifted the match's momentum in India's favor.

India's Chase for Victory

Following the bowlers' outstanding performance, the onus is now on India's batsmen to secure a win, as they need just 193 runs to claim victory in the fourth Test at Lord's. India's previous triumphs at this iconic venue occurred in 1986, 2014, and 2021, and a win here would mark their second consecutive Test victory at the 'Home of Cricket.'

The five-match Test series is currently tied at 1-1 after India's historic win at Edgbaston, where they achieved their first-ever victory at that venue with a 336-run margin after bowling England out for 271. With the momentum in their favor, India has a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the series, further asserting their dominance in England.