ENG vs IND 2025: Explained - What is the slope at Lord's and how does it impact the bowlers?

The 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England is level at 1-1, and the all-important third Test is set to begin at the home of cricket, Lord's, today (July 10). With the five-match series already on a knife-edge, the Lord's euphoria only adds to the excitement and tension.

Apart from the team combinations and other strategies, two things come to mind immediately when the Lord's Stadium gets mentioned - the Honours Board and the slope.

While the former honors players who rise to the occasion and score a century or pick up a five-wicket haul at the venue, the latter is something bowlers often use to their advantage. The Lord's slope could be one of the several reasons behind India's poor record in Tests at the venue.

The Asian side has won only three out of their 19 Tests at Lord's, with 12 defeats and four draws. Yet, Team India has coped better with the dynamics of the ground lately, winning two of their previous three Tests, including the more recent one in 2021.

On that note, let us deep dive into the specifics of how the Lord's slope and its impact on bowlers ahead of the crucial third Test between India and England.

What exactly is the much-talked-about Lord's slope?

Before examining the impact of the Lord's slope on bowlers and batters, let us take a look at what it is and how it differs from other stadiums worldwide. The Lord's slope is a gradient whose starting point is the Pavilion End and ends at the Nursery End.

At eight feet and two inches, the slope is visible only from a front-on angle but not as apparent from side-on. While there have been calls for levelling the ground without the slope, such a change hasn't been made, with the authorities stating that the rebuilding of the stadium would result in no Test cricket at the venue for almost half a decade.

Incidentally, the slope has been present even before the Lord's stadium came into existence. The land on which Lord's stadium was constructed was near a duck pond on a hill in St. John's Wood. Hence, the stadium had to be built around the sloping area and bounded by the stands.

Impact of the Lord's slope on the bowlers

Jasprit Bumrah's bowling could be greatly aided by the Lord's slope [Credit: Getty]

Bowlers almost always talk about the slope at Lord's and its impact before a Test at the venue. For the sake of simplicity, the slope mainly aids the seamers by providing additional movement upon the delivery's landing on the surface.

A bowler bowling from the Nursery End will enjoy the ball doing away from a right-hander and into a left-hander because of the slope. Yet, from the Pavilion End, the same slope helps the delivery move away from the left-hander and into the right-hander.

The reason behind these movements stems from the fact that the slope slants from right to left from the Nursery End, and the opposite applies to the Pavilion End. Thus, swing bowlers, especially those who master the outswing, enjoy bowling from the Nursery End. This is in addition to the movement off the pitch and overhead conditions.

Despite these advantages, several renowned pacers, James Anderson and Glenn McGrath, preferred bowling from the Pavilion End. In the former's case, bowling with the slope from the Nursery End disturbed his rhythm due to the adjustment required with the inclination.

Seam bowlers, most notably McGrath and Jasprit Bumrah, almost unanimously prefer the Pavilion End, with the ball coming down the slope, forcing batters to poke at deliveries usually left.

Furthermore, the preferred bowling ends because of the slope variations depend on a bowler's run-up. Bowlers with a straight run-up prefer the Pavilion End, running in down the slope, while those with angled run-ups prefer the Nursery End.

Conclusion

To conclude, there is no denying the role of the Lord's slope on bowlers and batters. The unique dimension adds to the intrigue of Test match viewing at the venue, with the slope acting as an advantage and a disadvantage for bowlers.

While the Pavilion and Nursery Ends present their benefits and challenges, the choice of bowlers from each end plays a crucial role in a team's chances of enjoying success at the venue. It is one of the key reasons behind England's excellent record at Lord's, with overseas sides often struggling to adjust to the slope.