Sachin Tendulkar Rings Lord’s Bell To Start 3rd IND-ENG Test At Home Of Cricket

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar added another memorable moment to his illustrious legacy on Thursday, July 10, as he rang the iconic Lord’s bell ahead of the start of the third Test between India and England. The historic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, often referred to as the “Home of Cricket,” is playing host to the third match of the fiercely-contested five-match Test series. Tendulkar, who is currently in London, received the honor of initiating play in what is one of the most revered cricketing traditions.

The ringing of the bell at Lord’s was introduced in 2007 and has since been a ceremonial privilege granted to legends who’ve left a mark on the sport. With Indian stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid having rung the bell in previous years, Tendulkar’s turn symbolizes another proud chapter in Indian cricket history. The video of the Master Blaster ringing the bell was widely shared by fans and broadcasters on X (formerly Twitter), quickly going viral and drawing admiration from cricket lovers worldwide.

As for the match, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first on a bright morning in London. Both teams made notable changes to their lineups. India welcomed back pace spearhead and world No. 1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the second Test in Birmingham due to workload management. He replaced Prasidh Krishna. England, on the other hand, brought back Jofra Archer, marking his return to Test cricket after more than four years. He came in for Josh Tongue.

India’s historical record at Lord’s has been modest. Since 1932, they have played 19 Tests at the venue, winning just three — in 1986, 2014, and most recently in 2021, when Virat Kohli led India to a famous 151-run victory. The current Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, will hope to emulate that success and take a lead in the ongoing series.

India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir

As action unfolds at the Mecca of cricket, all eyes will be on both returning stars and young guns to see who rises to the occasion in this pivotal Test.