Undercover guards managing security in IND vs ENG Test at Lord’s

Lord’s Cricket Ground has been placed on high alert for the third Test between India and England, which is a part of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Enhanced security measures include random checks and the presence of undercover guards.

These precautions, as reported by The Guardian, are there to prevent player heckling, protests, and pitch invasions, similar to those seen during the 2023 Ashes series. In that series, a ‘Just Stop Oil’ protester interrupted the game by running onto the pitch and throwing orange paint at players during the second Test.

No flags or banners are allowed in the venue, and additional protections have been implemented for players in the pavilion. These measures were introduced after the Australian team faced verbal abuse, especially Alex Carey during the 2023 series, following Jonny Bairstow‘s run-out.

As a result of this incident, some members of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) were banned, and the buffer zone between players and members was widened. This buffer will remain in place for the current Test.

The iconic venue has a capacity of over 30,000 spectators and the tickets for Day 1 were sold out. Almost half of the tickets for Day 5 have already been purchased, with a large number of Indian fans travelling and investing significant amount to watch the match.

Joe Root was on 99 as England finished Day 1 in a strong position. After winning the toss, England opted to bat in tough conditions. They were cautious and lost just two wickets in the first two sessions. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Root and Ollie Pope stabilised the innings, with the latter scoring 44 before Ravindra Jadeja took his wicket. He added over 100 runs with Root. Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Harry Brook. Root and Ben Stokes (39*) put on an unbeaten 79-run stand.

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