Only one team had declared the third innings of a Test after lunch on the final day and won: It was New Zealand who beat Sri Lanka at Kandy in 1984. On a manic Monday at Lord’s, India became the second as they beat England by 151 runs to take a 1-0 lead.
They had no business to win, though. Not after the position they were in when the day began, with them being six down and just 154 ahead. But then this team knows how to turn adversity into opportunity.
Left to chase 272 in 60 overs, after India declared their second innings at 298/8, England looked like they would hold on to a dramatic draw. They had recovered from 90/7 to 120/7, with only 55 balls left and Buttler and Robinson looking good.
But Jasprit Bumrah, after bowling some rapid overs, produced a magical slower one to fox Robinson and trapped him LBW to break the stubborn stand that had lasted 10.3 overs.
An inspired Mohammed Siraj, who bowled lung-bursting spells in both innings, then had Jos Buttler caught behind and two balls later, castled Jimmy Anderson from the round the wicket to bowl India to a famous win.
It was India’s third Test win at Lord’s after 1986 and 2014. Siraj had earlier dismissed Moeen Ali and Sam Curran off successive balls as Kohli looked for inspiration in his bowling group on a wicket that was flat and slow.
The Indian skipper was at his expressive best on Monday, goading the bowlers, sledging the rivals, chatting with the umpires and making a plethora of faces that an emoji factory would be proud of. He even held two smart catches, including the big one to dismiss his counterpart Joe Root for 33, immediately after tea.
But he also dropped Buttler off Bumrah at first slip when the English wicketkeeper was on two and for a moment it looked like it would come back to haunt him. But India just kept striking and had too many heroes to make the telling difference.
While the bowlers made headlines on Day 5, it was KL Rahul’s ton and Rohit’s 83 after being inserted on a green pitch that set up India’s 364. Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara kept India alive with their century stand on Day 4.
On Day 5, the visitors had already taken giant strides towards victory when Bumrah found the edge off in-form England skipper Root for 33. That wicket came immediately after the tea break, which was taken when Jonny Bairstow was trapped LBW off the last ball before the interval by the consistent Ishant Sharma.