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.