India bowled 83 overs on day one of the Lord's Test and then 75 overs were bowled on day 2.
Former England captains Mike Atherton and Michael Vaughan have expressed dissatisfaction with the excruciatingly slow over rate of the ongoing Lord's Test between India and England, as teams fail to meet the 90-over quota.
India bowled 83 overs on Day 1 of the third Test in London, while England and India combined to bowl 75 overs on Day 2. The teams' failure to meet the 90-over deadline was primarily due to continuous ball changes and unplanned breaks.
Mike Atherton has blasted umpires Paul Reiffel and Sharfuddoula for losing control of the game, while India captain Shubman Gill was permitted to receive medical attention on the field.
On Day 2, during the 110th over of the England innings, Gill was given a leg and back massage on the field. Atherton believes that Gill should have been ordered to leave the field of play by the umpires.
“At one stage, towards the end of England’s innings, Gill lay down for treatment on his back, and the umpires condoned a lengthy stoppage, instead of instructing him to leave the field, to allow play to resume.
From stoppages for minor injuries, to delays for attempted ball changes, to fussiness over the state of the popping crease — once the groundstaff were called on to flatten where the batsmen were standing — the umpires have lost control of this issue,” Atherton wrote in The Times.
On the other hand, Vaughan felt issuing fines to captains and players wouldn’t help improve the situation of slow over-rates.
“I don’t think fines work. I think these lads are quite rich,” Vaughan said. “I don’t think the cash is going to affect them. Been a problem for Test match cricket for a while. I know it’s hot. I know we’ve had a few injuries, but when we get to the fifth day, we have to bowl the 90 overs.
I have no idea why on days one, two, three, and four, we can see the game played at a snail’s pace. Surely the game moves on by saying on day one, there are 90 overs. Guess what we’re going to do? We’re going to bowl 90 overs on day two exactly the same,” said Vaughan to the BBC.
Vaughan added that making 90 overs per day mandatory would help things improve.
“You watch on day five when the players, the umpires know that 90 overs have to be bowled. They’ll be running around. There won’t be as many drinks breaks, there won’t be as many delays because they know that 90 overs have to be bowled. So I’d make it very, very simple. You have to bowl the 90 overs. I would guarantee that would improve the pace,” Vaughan said.