Sachin Tendulkar Rings Iconic Five-Minute Lord’s Bell To Open 3rd Test Of India vs England

Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar rang the iconic five-minute bell to begin day one of the Lord’s Test between India and England on Thursday.

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Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar marked a special moment on Thursday as he rang the iconic five-minute bell to signal the start of the third Test between India and England at Lord’s. The five-match series, named after Tendulkar and England pacer James Anderson, stands evenly poised at 1-1.

Accompanied by his wife Anjali, Tendulkar greeted the crowd with a wave and a namaste before performing the ceremonial bell ringing from the Lord’s Pavilion. The tradition, which began in 2007, is typically carried out by former greats of the game. Tendulkar now joins the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid in this distinguished list.

SACHIN TENDULKAR RINGING THE BELL.

- A great reception for the Master Blaster at the Lord's. ___pic.twitter.com/Y027fOaOoX

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 10, 2025

Earlier in the day, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) unveiled Tendulkar’s portrait in its famed museum at Lord’s. Painted by renowned British artist Stuart Pearson Wright, the portrait is set to be moved later this year to the historic Pavilion. This marks another milestone in Tendulkar’s enduring legacy at the spiritual home of cricket.

The Indian batting icon, who retired in 2013, is celebrated as one of the sport’s all-time greats. With 34,357 international runs across formats, he remains the highest run-scorer in the history of the game — over 6,000 runs clear of second-placed Kumar Sangakkara.

Tendulkar was also seen interacting with several notable personalities during the day, including former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

As for the on-field action, both teams welcomed major returns to their line-ups. India reinstated Jasprit Bumrah, replacing Prasidh Krishna, while England brought back Jofra Archer after a four-year absence from Test cricket due to persistent back and elbow injuries. Archer takes the place of Josh Tongue in England’s XI.

With the series finely balanced and two of the game’s premier fast bowlers returning, the Lord’s Test promises high drama and intensity.