ENG v IND 2018: Top 5 memorable performances by Indian bowlers at Lord's ground

Here are the five best bowling performances by Indian bowlers at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord's.

India is preparing to execute a revenge on England for the loss in the first Test at Birmingham of the 2018 series. The second Test of the five-match will be played at the Lord’s ground and the iconic ground was the scene of an amazing win by the Indian team, the last time India played here in 2014.

Lord’s has always been special for Indian bowlers, since the beginning of their Test sojourn in 1932, when Mohammad Nissar picked the first wicket for India in Tests. 14 Indian bowlers have had their names immortalized on the Lord’s honors board for five-wicket hauls.

Indian bowlers have done very well at Lord’s thanks to the helpful nature of the pitch and the infamous slope on the ground.

Therefore keeping in mind the previous hauls of Indian bowlers at the ground, Team COC picks out the five best bowling performances by Indian bowlers at the Lord’s ground.

Here are the Top 5 memorable performances by Indian bowlers at Lord's cricket ground:

AMAR SINGH – 6/35, 1936

Ladhabhai Nakum Amar Singh, better known as L Amar Singh or Amar Singh was regarded as one of the finest and best fast bowlers in the embryonic stages of Indian international cricket. Together with Mohammad Nissar, Amar Singh formed a formidable fast bowling partnership for India.

During the 1936 tour to England, Amar Singh recorded the then best figures for India by a fast bowler, when he picked up 6/35 in the 1^st Test of the series at Lord’s.

India had batted first after losing the toss and was bundled out for 147 with Gubby Allen picked 5/35 and Vijay Merchant top scoring with 35 runs. However, thanks to 6/35 from Amar Singh, India bundled out England for 134 runs with Maurice Leyland scoring 60.

However, India couldn’t build on the lead as they were bowled out for 93 in the second innings, as Allen picked another five-wicket haul and ten wickets for the match. England reached the 107 runs target with ease as Harold Gimblett scored 67* and England won the match by 9 wickets.

However, Amar Singh’s 6/35 showed the world, the firepower of Indian fast bowling.

BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR – 6/82, 2014

Team India had come to England in 2014 to play a five-Test series after 24 years. They also had to vanquish the demons of the 0-4 whitewash of 2011 series. India had managed to draw the first Test at Birmingham and the second Test was played at Lord’s.

Alastair Cook won the toss and put India into bat first on a green top pitch. India predictably struggled and was 128/6, before Ajinkya Rahane compiled a superlative century in 103 to take India to 295.

Then came the chance of Indian bowlers to take advantage of the same pitch and Bhuvneshwar Kumar decided to put his hand up, on his Lord’s debut and picked the first three wickets to fall in Cook, Robson, and Bell. Kumar swung the ball prodigiously and seamed it off the pitch too. It was a brilliant exhibition of swing bowling from the young Indian bowler and Bhuvneshwar ended up picking 6/82, which included the wicket of centurion Gary Ballance, who scored 110.

England was bundled up for 319 runs, with a lead of just 24 runs. Bhuvneshwar had starred with the ball for India in his first ever match at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s.

MOHAMMAD NISSAR – 5/93, 1932

India debuted in Test cricket in 1932 and played their first ever Test against England on the home of cricket, the Lord’s cricket ground. India was led by Col. CK Nayudu and England was led by Douglas Jardine.

England batted first and was immediately put in the spot of bother when young Indian pacer Mohammad Nissar ran through the England top order to dismiss openers Percy Holmes (6) and Herbert Sutcliffe (3) for cheap runs. He then came back to remove Les Ames, Walter Robins and Freddie Brown to complete the first ever five-wicket haul by an Indian bowler in Test matches in the very first innings for the country in India’s debut Test.

Nissar finished the first innings with figures of 5/93, as England made 259. He also picked one wicket in the second innings and despite the fact that India lost the Test by 158 runs, Nissar’s fast bowling was applauded by all.

Indian captain CK Nayudu claimed that Nissar was faster than the infamous England fast bowler Harold Larwood, who had shaken up the great Don Bradman during the Bodyline series of 1932 in Australia.

Nissar played 6 Tests for India, picking up 25 wickets, with 3 five-wicket hauls. He was one of the founders of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and died in Lahore in 1963.    

CHETAN SHARMA – 5/64, 1986

Chetan Sharma from Haryana made his India debut in 1983 in an ODI and played his first Test in 1984 at the age of 18 years. Sharma was part of the Indian team that toured England in 1986 and one of his best performances came at Lord’s in the first Test of the series.

Indian captain Kapil Dev won the toss and decided to bowl first on the typical Lord’s pitch. Though Graham Gooch scored 114 and Derek Pringle scored 63, none of the other batsmen managed to impress as Chetan Sharma ran through the England batting lineup.

Sharma picked the wickets of Gooch (114), David Gower (18), Mike Gatting (0), Allan Lamb (6) and Peter Downton. His figures of 5/64 helped India bowl England out for 294 runs.

Then thanks to a century from Dilip Vengsarkar and a spirited four-wicket haul from Kapil Dev in the last innings helped India bowl England out for 180. India chased down the required 134 for the win with 5 wickets in hands and as captain Kapil Dev hit 23* in 10 balls. 

ISHANT SHARMA – 7/74, 2014

India had come into the Lord’s Test in England after having drawn the first Test of the five-match series in 2014. India had scored 295 runs in the 1^st innings thanks to 103 from Ajinkya Rahane and stopped England at 319 with Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking the honors with 6/82.

India fared better in the second innings, making 342 with M Vijay making 95 and lower order in Jadeja (68) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52) contributing big time. England was set a stiff target of 319 runs to win.

India had managed to pick 4 England wickets with 72 runs on the board, when Joe Root (66) and Moeen Ali (39) stitched up a partnership of 101 runs and frustration crept into the Indian camp. The ball had stopped swinging and batting seemed to have become easy.

This was when Indian captain MS Dhoni had a moment of genius and he asked his tallest and fastest bowler in Ishant Sharma to bounce out the England batsmen. Though Ishant hesitated initially, Dhoni kept persisting and finally, Ishant relented. The result was immediate, as Ishant bounced out Ali, who gloved a catch to short leg.

Then came a process of England wickets, who were hell-bent on pulling and hooking the bouncers from Ishant Sharma, despite Dhoni employing three fielders in the deep. Matt Prior (12), Ben Stokes (0), Stuart Broad (8) and Joe Root (66) were all out trying to hit or fend off the bouncers from Ishant.

Ishant ended up with figures of 7/74, the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler at Lord’s. England was bowled out for 223 and India won the match by 95 runs to take the lead of 1-0 in the Test series.

Ishant Sharma was also named the Man of the match for his spirited bowling performance.