Play on Day 1 of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s was briefly halted when a swarm of ladybirds invaded the ground. The interruption occurred after four deliveries had been bowled in the 81st over by Akash Deep, with England at 245/4 on Thursday.
Umpires, along with England captain Ben Stokes and India skipper Shubman Gill, discussed how to proceed. While the Indian team appeared ready to continue, Stokes was visibly displeased with the disruption. After a short delay, the ladybirds dispersed, allowing Akash Deep to finish the over and the match to continue.
You can watch the video here:
A swarm of ladybirds stops play at Lord's! 🐞😅 pic.twitter.com/49lKhYHXwn
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2025
Joe Root was joined by Ben Stokes at the crease after Harry Brook was dismissed for 11, leaving England at 172/4 in the 55th over. Together, the duo added 79 runs for the fifth wicket, helping England regain footing in the match. Earlier in the post-tea
Root unbeaten on 99; England end Day 1 strongly at 251/4
Earlier in the day, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first under clear skies on a docile pitch. India’s pace attack started off with discipline, applying pressure with the new ball. The breakthrough came when Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissed both openers, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, in the same over, putting England on the back foot.
The recovery was led by a determined 109-run partnership between Joe Root and Ollie Pope, who weathered the storm with patient batting. However, the stand was broken right after the Tea break when Ravindra Jadeja produced a sharp-turning delivery that caught Pope’s edge, with wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel taking a sharp catch to dismiss him for 44.
Soon after, Harry Brook was removed for just 11 by Jasprit Bumrah, giving India a chance to regain control. But Joe Root and Ben Stokes steadied the innings with a cautious approach, ensuring England suffered no further setbacks before stumps.
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