Root's journey towards Test immortality, Stokes' milestone: Lord's set to host historic 150th Test match
London, June 4
The Lord's Stadium in the UK is set to host its 150th Test match as England takes on New Zealand for the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy on Thursday.
As per ESPNCricinfo, Lord's has hosted more Tests than any other venue in the world.
Since 1884, England has featured in 146 Tests at the Lord's, winning 60, losing 35 and drawing 51, as per ESPNCricinfo.
On the other hand, New Zealand have won just one of their previous 19 Tests at the iconic venue, dating back to 1931. Their last win at Lord's came in the series win in 1999. Since then, they have lost four and drawn four of their six appearances, as per ESPNCricinfo.
Skipper Ben Stokes, who will be 35 on the first morning of the Test match, is just five wickets shy of 250 Test wickets. Stokes has taken 245 wickets in 120 matches at an average of 31.24 and has best figures of 6/22. He has nine four-fers and six five-fers to his name. He will be only ninth bowler to reach the mark. With 345 wickets in 277 international matches, he is also five shy of 350 international wickets.
The series will also start England's premier batter Joe Root's journey towards breaking legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar's all-time high tally of 15,921 Test runs. Currently, he is the second-highest Test run-getter and just 57 runs shy of becoming the second player to reach the 14,000 Test run mark.
In 163 Tests, he has made 13,943 runs at an average of 51.07 and a strike rate of 57.51, with 41 centuries and 66 fifties, with a best score of 262. At Lord's, Root has scored 2,166 runs in 23 Tests and 42 innings at an average of 55.53, with eight centuries and seven fifties.
Squads: England Squad: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith(w), Ben Stokes(c), Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker New Zealand Squad: Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Dean Foxcroft, Nathan Smith, Zakary Foulkes, Blair Tickner, William ORourke, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an Indian cricket fan, watching Root bat feels like watching Tendulkar in the early 2000s—technically sound and never flashy. 14,000 Test runs is an incredible achievement. Hope he gets there at Lord's itself.
Stokes is one of the most inspirational cricketers of this generation. 250 Test wickets as an all-rounder is phenomenal. But can we talk about how weak England's bowling attack looks without Anderson and Broad? Even at Lord's, New Zealand might challenge them.
Lord's and history go hand in hand. Root needs 57 runs for 14,000—bound to happen in this match! But let's be honest, breaking Sachin's 15,921 will need another 3-4 years of this form. Not impossible, but very tough. Enjoy the journey, Joe!
New Zealand have only won 1 Test at Lord's since 1931! That's an incredible stat. With Kane Williamson back, they might have a chance, but England at home is a different beast. Expect a tight contest.
I love how cricket history is being celebrated—150th Test at Lord's, Stokes' milestone, Root's run chase. But honestly, the ECB should focus more on growing Test cricket instead of making it a rich man's sport. Still, looking forward to some excellent cricket!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.