You expected Jasprit Bumrah. Maybe Mohammed Siraj. On a turning pitch, perhaps even Ravindra Jadeja. But Washington Sundar? With the ball? At Lord’s? That’s exactly what happened.
On Day 4 of the Lord’s Test, Sundar produced a sensational spell, finishing with 4 wickets for just 22 runs — the best figures by an Indian spinner at Lord’s in the 21st century.
Bowled 'Em All: Root, Stokes, Smith and Bashir
Sundar didn’t just pick up wickets — he knocked stumps over. His victims? England’s best batters
- Joe Root, the centurion from the first innings.
- Jamie Smith, England’s most consistent batter this series.
- Ben Stokes, playing at his best this series
- And Shoaib Bashir, whose dismissal wrapped up the innings.
All four — bowled. A rare sight. A rare spell. And all from a player many didn’t even expect to feature in the Test XI this tour.
History Made at the Home of Cricket
Sundar’s name now joins an elite list — he is just the fifth Indian spinner ever to claim 4 wickets or more in an innings at Lord’s. The last to do it? Bishan Singh Bedi — all the way back in 1974. That’s a 51-year gap.
But the records didn’t stop there. Sundar also helped India register a historic team feat:
- 7 bowled dismissals in England’s second innings — the most ever for India in a Test innings.
- 12 bowled dismissals across both innings — the most by any team in a Test match since 1960.
More than half of England’s batting lineup — dismissed with their stumps shattered.
Sundar Joins, and Surpasses, Legends
At Lord’s, even the great Anil Kumble never managed more than three wickets in an innings. Ravindra Jadeja, at his peak in 2014, walked away with two. But Sundar? He leapfrogged them both — quietly, efficiently, and emphatically.
The Final Word: From Unnoticed to Unforgettable
He wasn’t hyped. He wasn’t expected. But on one unforgettable day at Lord’s, Washington Sundar turned the home of cricket into his playground. And if anyone still underestimated his Test credentials — now they know.
