Lord’s. The Mecca of cricket. The ground has a special importance for every cricketer.
Lord’s has a unique tradition of honouring notable performances by inscribing the names of players on their honours boards. This prestigious honour is awarded when a batsman scores a century or a bowler takes 5 wickets in innings or 10 wickets in a match.
India has won only 2 games of 17 at Lord’s and there have been 22 Indian players with their names on the Lord’s honours boards.
India vs England, 2014
1. Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane built the foundation of India’s victory at Lord’s with a century in the first innings. He walked in to bat when the score was 86/3. As he was settling down, wickets tumbled at other end. At one stage, India were struggling at 145 for 7. But Rahane showed grit and batted with the tail-enders to take India’s score ahead.
Eventually, India made 295 in 1st innings. Rahane got his name on the Lord’s honours board for scoring 103. The next highest score was 36 by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This highlights Rahane’s efforts to take India to a respectable total in difficult batting conditions.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2014 was Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s’ first tour of England. A lot was expected from him given his ability to swing the ball. At Lord’s, he took charge of the bowling to dismantle England’s batting line-up. He took the wickets of the top 4 English batsman and then cleaned up the tail. England finished ahead of India in the 1st innings but his bowling ensured India stayed alive in the game. Bhuvi finished with figures of 31-10-82-6 to get his name featured on the Lord’s honours boards.
3. Ishant Sharma
India set a target of 319 for England to win the Lord’s Test. Ishant Sharma provided early breakthroughs by dismissing Alastair Cook and Ian Bell. However, at one stage, England’s score was 174 /4 with Root and Ali looking firm at crease. On Day 5, just at the stroke of lunch, Ishant dismissed Moeen Ali to break that partnership. Immediately after lunch, Ishant bowled the best spell of his career with a burst of short-pitched deliveries. He dismissed Prior, Stokes, Root and Broad in that spell.
India won a Test at Lord’s after a long wait of 28 years. Ishant Sharma’s performance got recorded not only on the Lord’s honours boards, but also in the form of the man of the match award, as India completed one of their most famous victories in England.
India vs England, 2011
4. Praveen Kumar
England amassed 474 runs in the 1st innings. India’s bowlers found it difficult to control their line & length, but Praveen Kumar was the exception. He could swing the ball both ways and keep batsman guessing. He ran through England’s middle order, dismissing Bell and Morgan in the same over and was later on a hat-trick after trapping Prior and Broad on consecutive deliveries.
He could not get a hat-trick, but he finished with figures of 40.3-10.106-5 to get a mention on Lord’s honours boards. Out of his 5 wickets, 3 were caught behind by wicket keeper and 2 were LBWs. This gives an idea of his ability to swing the ball both ways.
5. Rahul Dravid
During India’s tour of England in 1996, Dravid fell short of scoring century on debut at Lord’s by just 5 runs. 15 years later, Dravid returned to Lord’s and scored 103 not out in the 1st innings. He anchored one end of the wicket but his fellow teammates kept getting out at the other end. With the score at 281/8, Dravid completed his century to get a well-deserved mention on the Lord’s honour boards.
India vs England, 2007
6. RP Singh
Bowlers from Uttar Pradesh seem to be gifted with swing bowling skills, so they are very useful in England. Before Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Praveen Kumar in 2014 and 2011, a southpaw from UP, RP Singh, showed his skill by reverse swinging the ball under an overcast sky in London.
He came around the wicket and went past the defences of England’s middle order. As they were largely right-handed batsmen, RP Singh’s reverse swing was very effective. He finished with figures of 16.3-3-59-5 & made it to the Lord’s honours boards as India drew the game.
India vs England, 2002
7. Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar was in the squad as a specialist bowler in the Lord’s Test but he couldn’t do much with ball in both innings. 3 English batsmen made centuries in the match, but India had none until Agarkar came in to bat in the 4th innings when score was 170 for 6.
England had set a mammoth target of 568 runs and India looked to suffer a heavy defeat. However, Agarkar showed his skills with bat to first put up a 126-run partnership with VVS Laxman and went on to score a century! Though India lost the test by 170 runs, Agarkar’s innings was a big positive from the match.
India vs England, 1996
8. Venkatesh Prasad
England, put in to bat, were at 243 for 5 with Graham Thorpe and wicketkeeper Jack Russell settled nicely at the crease. It looked like they would put up big runs on the board. But India’s lanky fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad rose to the occasion. After the partnership between Grahame Thorpe and Russell was broken, Prasad took remaining 4 wickets. He ended with figures of 33.3-10-76-5.
9. Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly always had a special bond with Lord’s. He made his Test debut on that ground, and made his debut memorable as he struck maiden Test century in the 1st innings. He took charge of England’s bowling with some classic cover drives. His century, along with Dravid’s well-made 95, helped India put up a total of 429 on the board. India eventually drew the match.
India vs England, 1990
10. Ravi Shastri
The Test at Lord’s saw lots of runs scored in first 3 innings, led by Graham Gooch’s top score of 333. A total of 6 hundreds were scored in that match. In reply to England’s 653 in first innings, Ravi Shastri played positively and scored a century. He provided the start that India wanted from a top order batsman. He got his name on the Lord’s honours boards but fell immediately after scoring a century.
11. Mohammad Azharuddin
After Shastri fell, India still had long way to go. That’s when captain Azharuddin came to the rescue. With his skilful technique and wristwork, finding the gaps between fielders, he kept the scoreboard ticking. He scored 121 runs in just 111 balls with 22 boundaries. After Azharuddin fell with the score at 393, India’s innings ended with 454 runs on board. India lost the Test match but Azhar’s heroics are still remembered.
India vs England, 1986
12. Chetan Sharma
The 1986 outing at Lord’s was a memorable one for India as they registered their first ever Test victory at the hallowed ground. After winning the toss India chose to field first. This decision surprised many, as batting was always India’s strength. But Chetan Sharma had other plans. He bowled brilliantly and did not allow the hosts to take control of the game. His 5 wickets, including centurion Graham Gooch, restricted England to 294. His appearance on the Lord’s honours boards was even more special as India won the Test.
13. Dilip Vengsarkar
It was Vengsarkar’s 3rd appearance at Lord’s. Before talking about his knock in this Test, let’s take a look at his performance on the previous 2 occasions to understand how much he loved playing at Lord’s.
In 1979, his first appearance at Lord’s, he got out for duck in the 1st innings. However, he made a comeback in the 2nd innings, scoring 103 to get his name featured on the honours boards. India drew that Test. In 1982, Vengsarkar again got out cheaply in first innings. England enforced a follow-on. Vengsarkar took this opportunity to score 157, his highest score at Lord’s in India’s 2nd innings. India managed to reach 369 runs. Though India lost the Test, Vengsarkar’s knock made sure that England didn’t get an innings victory. He appeared on Lord’s honours board for 2nd time.
In 1986, he had learnt his lessons. He was rock solid in the 1st innings and scored his 3rd century at Lord’s, 126 with 16 boundaries. His performance ensured that India finished their first innings with 341 runs on board and a crucial lead of 47 runs. Vengsarkar scored a hat-trick of Centuries at Lord’s and became only visiting batsman to be featured on the Lord’s honours boards thrice.
India vs England, 1982
14. Kapil Dev
India depended heavily on their spinners until Kapil Dev emerged as India’s primary fast bowler. At Lord’s, Kapil created a chance for India early in the match. England elected to bat first but Kapil made them regret it instantly. He bowled outstanding opening spell with ball and left England reeling at 96 for 4, taking all 4 wickets. However, he did not get any assistance from other end and England took their chance. Kapil eventually ended with figures of 43-8-125-5 in that innings.
India vs England, 1979
15. Gundappa Viswanath
When Vengsarkar scored his 1st hundred at Lord’s, he got support from G Viswanath in the 2nd innings. India was following-on after getting dismissed on 96 in first innings. Viswanath joined Vengsarkar when the score was 99 for 2. The duo put on partnership of 210 runs to save the Test. Viswanath anchored one end, scoring 113 from 337 balls. Both Vengsarkar and Viswanath were featured on the honours board.
India vs England, 1974
16. Bishan Singh Bedi
This was an era when India had no quality fast bowlers. Batting first, England put up 629 runs on board. As India’s medium pacers were ineffective, the spinners toiled hard to take England’s wickets. Bedi bowled the most overs, eventually ending England’s innings by taking 6 wickets. His figures read 64.2-8-226-6. Along with Bedi, Prasanna bowled 51 overs but could get only 2 wickets. India lost that Test by an innings and 285 runs.
India vs England, 1967
17. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
It was another spinner B.S. Chandrasekhar who impressed with ball in a Lord’s Test. In England’s first innings he took 5 wickets as the England batsmen found it difficult to read his bowling, mixing up classic leg breaks and wrong’uns. He ended up with figures of 53-9-127-5 even though India lost the match by an innings and 124 runs.
India vs England, 1959
18. Ramakant Desai
When India was still searching for a quality fast bowler, they found Ramakant Desai in the Lord’s Test. After India were dismissed for 168 in first innings, Desai led the bowling attack to take a 5-wicket haul. India dismissed England for 226 and Desai got wickets of England’s top order batsmen, ending up with figures of 31.4-8-89-5. India lost the Test but Desai’s performance showed that India had the potential to produce quality fast bowlers
India vs England, 1952
19. Vinoo Mankad
Vinoo Mankad is one of the best all-rounders India has produced. He proved it at Lord’s, where he first took 5 wickets in England’s 1st innings, finishing with bowling figures of 73-24-196-5. But he was not done yet. Mankad played as an opener and amassed 184 runs in India’s 2nd innings. That is a highest individual score by Indian at Lord’s. Mankad is the only player in history apart from Ian Botham whose name has been put up on the Lord’s honours boards both as a batsman and bowler in the same Test.
India vs England, 1946
20. Lala Amarnath
India were bowled out for 200 in first innings. England’s batting was so strong that a herculean task was required to dismiss their batsmen. Lala was up for the challenge. He took the wickets of the top 4 English batsman and ended with bowling figures of 57-18-118-5.
India vs England 1936
21. Amar Singh
It was only India’s 2nd Test match in England. Despite getting bowled out for 147, India managed to take a lead in the 1st innings, which was an achievement in itself. It was Amar Singh who provided this ray of hope for India. He took 6 English wickets to become the 2nd Indian cricketer to get his name on the Lord’s honours boards. With the wickets of 5 top order English batsmen, he ended up with figures of 25.1-11-35-6. He gave away just 35 runs in 25 overs he bowled. That shows the control he had in his line & length. Eventually India lost the match, but Amar Singh’s performance was the lone bright spot for India.
India vs England 1932
22. Mohammad Nissar
India played their 1st ever Test at Lord’s, led by C.K. Nayudu. Though it was their 1st match, the Indians put up a good contest against England. India dismissed England for 259 runs n 1st innings. Mohammad Nissar took India’s first-ever five wicket haul and became the 1st Indian to appear on the Lord’s honours boards. As it was their first test, beating England was always going to be unlikely. England won by 5 wickets, but Nissar’s performance was the highlight of the match.
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