21st century, Indian cricket, Lord's Honours Board
Popularly known as the "Mecca of Cricket", this ground holds a special significance in the world of cricket, in the lives of cricketers who made it to the Lord's and in the hearts of budding cricketers who want to make it big in the Gentleman's game.
The Lord's Cricket Ground has its own set of traditions which hold immense value in a Test match that is played at this ground like ringing the bell before the start of play on each day of the match. One such crucial tradition is itching the names of those cricketers on the Lord's Honours board who perform splendidly.
This tradition began with the first match at the venue itself which was played between Australia and England in 1884. By scoring a century, by taking a 5-wicket haul in an innings or by scalping 10 wickets in a match, a cricketer can earn an ever-lasting legacy in the history of the "Cricket Headquarters".
Indians and the Lord's Honours Board
Indian cricket shares a rich history with the Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was at this very ground that India played their first Test match back in 1932 against England. Some other vital moments in the Indian cricket like the 1983 World Cup win and Sourav Ganguly’s t-shirt celebration after winning the 2002 Natwest Final Trophy were witnessed on this historic venue.
Let's talk Indians on the Honours board. So far, 22 Indian players have their names registered on the prestigious board. Mohammad Nissar was the first Indian player to have his name enlisted on the board.
In this little piece, we will have a look at the 7 Indian cricketers who made it to the board in the 21st century owing to their terrific showings with the bat and the ball.
#1 Ajit Agarkar (109*, Date- 25/07/'02)
Ajit Agarkar is one of the most underrated cricketers in the nation. A reliable Indian bowler, especially in overseas conditions, was also a good handler of the blade. He shined with the bat on numerous occasions for India and this performance at Lord's reflects his contribution towards the blooming of Indian cricket.
In the 1st Test match of the tour, Ajit was included in the team as a specialist bowler but he managed to scalp only 3 wickets in 2 innings. Chasing a huge target of 568 runs, Indian batting line-up was struggling in the final innings of the match against England's bowling attack, especially against the pacer Matthew Hoggard.
India were 170/6 and headed towards a heavy defeat when Ajit Agarkar, the no. 8 batsman, stitched a fabulous partnership of 126 runs with VVS Laxman. Agarkar scored a terrific century and was unbeaten in the 4th innings. Though India lost the match by 170 runs, Agarkar’s innings turned out to be the reason that the Indian team managed to give a tough fight till the end.