Lord’s will be the centre of attention come Thursday for the cricketing fraternity when England and India renew their rivalry in the second Test.
Virat Kohli and Co have it all to do to level the five-match series after losing a thriller in Birmingham by 31 runs. But the tourists don’t exactly have an excellent record at the Home of Cricket, having won two of 17 Tests.
Yet, there’s hope for India – and Lord’s is certainly a stage where they’ve flourished before, whether it’s with a white ball or red. So if you’re an India fan, sit back and relive some of the most cherished memories made at the hallowed ground.
1983 – FIRST WORLD CUP TRIUMPH
The fact that India were not even classed as one of the favourites to win the World Cup shows how incredible this feat was, 35 years ago. Underdogs they may have been but their journey was nothing but a fairytale. After advancing through the group stage, the Indians beat hosts England by six wickets in Manchester before making their way down south to the Home of Cricket.
Two-time champions West Indies stood in their way but Kapil Dev and Co had other ideas. Mohinder Amarnath’s 3-12 ultimately was the difference as Dev’s charges claimed their maiden world title in style.
2002 – INDIA WINNING THE NATWEST ODI SERIES
Sourav Ganguly waving his India jersey at the Lord’s balcony will always be an iconic moment for India fans. He had every reason to celebrate considering his team had overhauled the then second-highest ODI total to win the decider against England. Needing 326 to win, India were staring at a defeat when they were at 146-5. But Yuvraj Singh (69) and Mohammad Kaif (87 not out) defied the odds with a 121-run stand to complete a sensational victory.
Victory is sweet: Sourav Ganguly
1986 – FIRST-EVER TEST WIN
India probably got sick and tired of playing at the historic venue every time they visited England given their dismal record. But that all changed more than 30 years ago as Dev’s side became the first Indian team to win a Test at Lord’s. After England scored 294, Dilip Vengsarkar’s unbeaten 126 helped his nation put up a total of 341. Dev and Maninder Singh shared seven wickets each before the Indian batsmen chased down the target with ease.
1982 – DILIP VENGSARKAR’S FIRST IN A RUN OF CENTURIES
Vengsarkar made a habit of scoring centuries at the ground. Three to be precise and what’s more impressive is that they were scored on consecutive occasions. In the 1979 Test he slammed 103, and three years later, he went even better. Unfortunately for him those came in losing causes but it was third time lucky in 1986. His unbeaten 126 was decisive as India secured victory. Altogether, in four Tests, the Mumbai batsman scored 508 runs at an average of 72.57.
Century maker: Dilip Vengsarkar
2014 – SECOND TEST WIN
A day that Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma will certainly not forget after making an impact with the bat and ball. Rahane’s 103 set the tone before Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s six-for reduced England to 319. India still managed to build a second-innings lead thanks to Murali Vijay’s 95 but Sharma did the damage with the ball – taking 7-74 as India wrapped up a 95-run win and their first Test win at Lord’s in 28 years.
Ishant Sharma (second left) was in superb form
