When India's lean fast bowler let it rip at the Home of Cricket and turned a Test match upside down with a barrage of bouncers
Cricket, they say, is a game of patience. But every now and then, someone comes along and shatters the script. As the 2025 England vs. India Test series is heating up, let’s rewind the clock and revisit a moment still echoed in Indian fast-bowling lore.
It was July 2014. India hadn’t won a Test away from home in over three years. They faced England at the iconic Lord's-where victories were rare, and English hopes often soared. But that afternoon, on a warm London day, Ishant Sharma took control of the slope at Lord’s.
With an old ball, a barrage of short-pitched deliveries, and a plan as risky as it was exhilarating, he delivered a spell that remains one of the most memorable in Indian cricket history.
India batted first and scored a competitive 295. Ajinkya Rahane’s century (103) maintained the innings despite Jimmy Anderson’s 4-for. England responded with 319, thanks to Gary Ballance’s 110 and an unbeaten 55 from Liam Plunkett. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was India’s standout with the ball, taking 6 for 82.
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By the time India began their second innings, the match was still very much in the balance. Murali Vijay fell just short of a century (95), but there were valuable contributions from others—Jadeja 68, Bhuvneshwar 52. India reached 342, setting England a challenging target of 319 on a difficult fifth-day pitch.
England looked steady at 173/4. Joe Root and Moeen Ali had built a century partnership. India appeared tense and subdued. With just minutes remaining before lunch, MS Dhoni made a tactical move—he instructed Ishant to bowl a short ball.
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And it paid off. Ishant delivered a hostile bouncer, Moeen ducked, the ball brushed his gloves, and Pujara, at short leg, held on. That wicket wasn’t just a breakthrough; it was a turning point. After lunch, Ishant seized the moment and took control.
What followed was utter chaos. Matt Prior attempted a pull and fell into the trap—deep midwicket waited and caught him out. Next, Stokes swung blindly, giving catching practice to midwicket. Root, who had kept the innings so composed, went the same way—another short ball, another misjudged pull, and another wicket.
In just eight balls, Ishant took three wickets for two runs.
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By the time he dismissed Stuart Broad—caught behind down the leg side—he had claimed seven scalps. All five of his wickets after lunch came from short deliveries. England, from 173/4, folded for 223.
India won the match by 95 runs—only their second-ever Test victory at Lord’s, the last one dating back to 1986. Ishant’s 7 for 74 became his career-best figures.
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More importantly, it ended India’s 15-match overseas winless streak. The moment felt seismic.
Ishant didn’t just take wickets; he made a statement—India could fight, pace could triumph, and history could be rewritten. His short-ball strategy wasn’t a random gamble; it was a tactical move supported by his captain and executed flawlessly.
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Few Indian bowlers have dominated a session in England like that. Few have made the Lord’s roar and fall silent like Ishant did that day.
