5 legends who made their Test debut at Lord's
If there is one venue in the world where every cricketer wants to play Test cricket, then it is the iconic Lord's cricket ground. Known as the home of cricket, Lord's forms one of the age-old traditions of the sport.
The ground got its name from the builder Thomas Lord. Lord and his team built three stadiums, of which the third - which was opened in 1814 - is used to host games.
There are several factors associated with this place which make it unique. The long room and the slope are two such factors associated with the historic ground which have now become part of folklore.
The honours board and the media center are the two iconic parts of the ground which are now being replicated in many other stadiums. Players take pride in playing at the venue, and a few are lucky enough to make their debuts at this legendary place - with Jofra Archer being the latest.
Here's a look at five greats who made their Tests debut at Lord's.
#5 Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen's selection in the 2005 Ashes squad created ripples as his in-your-face attitude didn't go well with the England fans. But Michael Vaughan decided to give him his debut match at Lord's in the first Test of the series.
Pietersen's debut innings silenced every critic, as his aggressive approach helped England recover from 21/5. He top-scored in both the innings which salvaged some pride as his team lost the match by 239 runs.
But he helped his team stage a comeback, and he ended the series as the highest run-scorer. His counter-attacking 158 despite being pitted against Shane Warne's best in the fifth Test showcased his ability against quality spin bowling.
Pietersen showed that again on a square turner against India in Mumbai in 2012 which helped England win a Test series in India after 28 years.
Controversies cut short Pietersen's career, but he was magnificent till the day he represented the Three Lions.