Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
England crumbled on the opening day of their much-awaited Lord’s Test against New Zealand, slipping to 118 for 8 when bad light delayed play in the second session. New Zealand’s fast bowlers, led by Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke, ran riot in London, making the best use of the nip and swing on offer. The Lord’s pitch on Day 1 was far from easy to negotiate, and it appeared the England batters lacked the application required to deal with the excessive seam movement.
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Lord’s Test Day 1 Highlights | Scorecard
White-ball captain Harry Brook was the lone batter to show any real fight. Having been dropped on eight, he went on to score the solitary half-century of England’s first innings before the stoppage. None of the others, including captain Ben Stokes and former skipper Joe Root, managed to get going.
Interestingly, social media was abuzz with questions regarding England’s preparation for the three-match series against the former world champions. While Jofra Archer was unavailable for selection following a heavy workload in the IPL 2026 season, questions were raised over Jacob Bethell’s preparation as well.
Bethell, who had arrived in the UK before the IPL 2026 playoffs, managed just six runs after facing 22 deliveries on Day 1. He was dismissed LBW by Will O’Rourke, who got the ball to angle in sharply from around the wicket. The left-hander, batting at No. 3, looked utterly at sea, failing to cover the line of the delivery and allowing the ball to crash into his pads.
Quite a few critics pointed out that Bethell had erred by spending so much time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, despite not getting opportunities at the start of the IPL season, which concluded on May 31. Former captain Sir Alastair Cook had previously suggested that Bethell ought to have played County Cricket instead of warming the benches in the IPL. However, Bethell and a handful of former cricketers, including Kevin Pietersen, defended the decision. Even head coach Brendon McCullum, speaking to the press on Tuesday, insisted that Bethell appeared well-prepared to face the red-ball challenge.
“I’m sure working in India, I know it’s probably not ideal from a structure point of view and maybe not getting as much red-ball games under his belt, but he has a calm head and he’s a very methodical preparer in terms of the mental side of the game,” McCullum had said.
Bethell had been one of the few positives for the England side during their 1-4 drubbing in the Ashes in Australia earlier this year, where he hit a century in Sydney. However, serious concerns remain over his lack of match practice leading into this all-important Test in London.
Crucially, Bethell was not the only man undone by the quality of the New Zealand pace attack.
Ben Duckett, who pulled out of the IPL after securing a contract with Delhi Capitals, managed just 19 before falling LBW to Nathan Smith. Debutant opener Emilio Gay became the first of Jamieson’s four victims.
Joe Root survived just eight deliveries in the middle before receiving an absolute peach from O’Rourke. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith was subsequently undone by a delivery that seamed back in sharply after pitching, knocking his off-stump clean out of the ground.
Captain Ben Stokes, walking in at No. 7, scraped together 12 off 23 balls before Jamieson claimed the prize wicket, courtesy of a sensational catch in the slips by Kane Williamson. Brook, despite being dropped twice, failed to convert his half-century into a substantial score, leaving tail-enders Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue together in the middle with England reeling at 118 for 8.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
