Lord’s Cricket Ground added another landmark chapter to its storied history on June 4 as the iconic London venue became the first ground in the world to host 150 men’s Test matches.
It hosted its first Test match back in 1884. In that game, England beat Australia rather comfortably, winning the game by an innings and five runs. More than a century later, it remains one of the sport’s most recognised venues and a regular stop on international tours of England.
Stadiums to host most Test matches:
| Stadium | Country | Tests hosted |
| Lord’s | England | 150 |
| MCG | Australia | 118 |
| SCG | Australia | 114 |
| Kennington Oval | England | 108 |
| Old Trafford | England | 86 |
Notably, the ground has also served as the host for several major global events over the years. Among them was the final of the third World Test Championship, where Australia and South Africa contested the title. In that game, South Africa triumphed to win their maiden ICC title in over two decades.ย
When it comes to India, Eden Gardens hosted the most number of Test matches. The iconic venue in Kolkata hosted 43 matches. Overall, it stands 23rd on the list. Delhiโs Arun Jaitley Stadium and Chennaiโs Chepauk stand second and third among Indian venues, having hosted 36 and 35 Test matches, respectively.ย
Indian stadiums to host most Test matches:
| Stadium | City | Tests hosted |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 43 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 36 |
| M Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 35 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 27 |
| M Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 25 |
New Zealand win toss, elect to field in Lordโs Test
New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first in the iconic Test. England skipper Ben Stokes revealed that he would have loved to bowl first as well. Meanwhile, the Three Lions handed the debut cap to Emilio Gay, who started the day with a beautiful drive to the boundary, but failed to keep up with the momentum.ย
In the sixth over of the game, the 26-year-old edged Kyle Jamiesonโs delivery, which resulted in a simple catch for Daryl Mitchell at first slip. With that, he departed for eight runs off 14 balls. Jacob Bethell then joined Ben Duckett in the middle and only four overs later, the umpires were forced to stop the play due to rain.ย
Eventually, an early lunch was taken and the match began shortly after that. However, soon after the break, open Ben Duckett departed for 19 runs. Nathan Smith picked up the wicket, leaving England reeling for 31/2.
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