Nasser Hussain Says Lord's Pitch Failed 33-Wicket Test
nasser hussain said Lord's pitch was “not good enough” for Test cricket after 33 wickets fell inside two days in England's first Test of the summer against New Zealand. The criticism landed at the home of cricket during its 150th Test match, with the surface again under the spotlight after a remarkable collapse of play.
Hussain also called the wicket “substandard” and said, “High-quality bowling is on display from both teams, but it's on a substandard pitch - and it has been for quite some time.” New Zealand ended day two trailing England by 218 runs, with the game already shaped less by accumulation than by how quickly wickets kept falling.
Lord's Under Hussain's Microscope
The former England captain said the ground staff had tried to improve the surface during the off-season, including relaying the outfield and using 200°C steam on the wicket. He added, “They put a dome over it, they have tried steaming it, but nothing has made a difference.”
Hussain said, “This famous old ground is hosting its 150th Test match and is scheduled to stage three Tests this year.” He also said, “It's a venue that blends the old and the new so well, but ultimately it's the 22 yards in the middle that matter.”
New Zealand Felt The Bounce
England's bowlers used that bounce to leave New Zealand on 36 for three at stumps on day two, a position built on a surface that kept changing from spell to spell. Nathan Smith took six wickets for 70 runs for New Zealand, while England lost four wickets in 11 deliveries in their second innings.
Hussain said, “Throughout this Test match, it has lacked pace, and when it does quicken up, it begins to misbehave upwards.” CricViz put the Lord's Test at 7.5 out of 10 for inconsistency, the highest rating it has recorded for a Test match in England so far, and that number matched what the scorecard already showed: this was a match where the pitch kept refusing to settle.
Lord's Keeps The Focus
The immediate issue now sits with the surface, not the calendar. Lord's remains one of the game's biggest stages, but after 33 wickets in two days and a 7.5 inconsistency rating, the conversation has moved from the scoreline to whether the wicket offered a fair Test.
