Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane was the star of day 1 of the 2nd Test between India and England at Lord’s as the Mumbai batsman scored a 103 to get his side out of trouble.
Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane was the star of day 1 of the 2nd Test between India and England at Lord’s as the Mumbai batsman scored a 103 to get his side out of trouble.
With both teams vying to grab an upper hand, here’s a list of Indian players, who have, over the years, excelled at the venue:
Vinoo Mankad
Indian cricket icon, Vinoo Mankad became the first Indian to score a 100 and take five wickets in the same Test during the 1952 Test at Lord’s against England. Mankad top-scored with 72 in the first innings and followed it up with 184 runs in the second innings. He also took 5 wickets for 196 runs during England’s first innings. Though India lost the Test, Mankad’s all-round effort was the only notable performance in the series, in which India were heavily outmatched by England.
Dilip Vengsarkar
Another batting legend who ruled the roost at Lord’s was Dilip Vengsarkar who amassed 508 runs in four appearances (1979, 1982, 1986 and 1990) in Lord’s, scoring three centuries and he remains the only non-Englishman to have scored three or more centuries at Lord’s.
Chetan Sharma
During the 1986 Lord’s Test, Indian pacer Chetan Sharma produced a fine spell of pace bowling claiming 5 for 64 in the first innings to set up India’s first Test victory at Lord’s and only their second in 33 Tests in England.
Mohammed Azharuddin
During the Lord’s Test of 1990 between England and India, it was best remembered for Graham Gooch’s incredible batting performance and Kapil Dev hitting four consecutive sixes of Eddie Hemmings but the stand-out performer was the then India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin who amassed 121 in 111 balls, with 22 fours which is still considered one of the best played at Lord’s by a visiting team player.
Sourav Ganguly
When India toured England in 1996, in the second Test, debutant Sourav Ganguly walked in at No. 3 and scored a memorable 131 runs, which still remains the highest by any batsman on debut at the ground. Rahul Dravid, who also made his debut in the same Test, fell five short of a debut hundred. The duo helped India draw the Test.
Venkatesh Prasad
Even though the Indian debutants – Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid hogged the limelight during the second Test in 1996 it will be also remembered for Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad who produced an outstanding display of pace bowling to bag 7 wickets in the match.
Ajit Agarkar
With India at tatters at Lord’s in 2002, in walked Ajit Agarkar, batting at No. 8. The Mumbai-born hit an unbeaten 109 even though India lost the Test. Agarkar produced his best-ever batting performance to salvage some pride in the match.
