On Thursday morning, both inside the stadium and on social media, people were talking about their fond recollections of two great games that had taken place there. It was the NatWest Trophy victory in 2002 for Indian fans. For the locals, it was the historic 2019 World Cup final, in which Kane Williamson’s New Zealand lost to Eoin Morgan’s England by the slimmest of margins, three years to the day.
Many Indian supporters would recall that period for a different purpose. India’s top order had crumbled against New Zealand three days earlier at Old Trafford in the first semifinal. Within the first ten overs, they were reduced to 24 for 4.
An eerily similar fate befell a few of the hitters from that game who were there at Lord’s on Thursday. India had a score of 28 for three after the first powerplay, their lowest since the World Cup semifinal. When Virat Kohli was removed, India had lost their first four wickets earlier than at any point since that game three years prior, at 31 for 4.
The value of ODI cricket is a subject that has recently sparked some discussion. Make pitches that give bowlers more of a chance in a batter-dominated format. At the same time, there are some areas, such as the playing conditions, that need to be reviewed to bring more balance to the 50-over game. And those are the events that this series’ first two games have shown us.
A formidable England batting lineup was dismantled by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami at The Oval on Tuesday thanks to a green wicket, humid weather, and gloomy skies. The opening pair for India, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, effortlessly surpassed the 111-point mark.
Source: ESPNcricinfo
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