IND vs ENG 2021: Stellar shows from 10 memorable India-England Tests at Lord’s
Lord’s remains close to every Indian cricket fan's heart. In 1932, India began their international journey at the venue. Exactly 51 years later, they halted the West Indian juggernaut to be crowned the World Champions in 1983.
In 89 years of India’s international cricket history, they have played just 18 Tests at Lord's, winning just two and losing 12. However, memorable moments have come aplenty.
Ahead of the 2021 Lord’s Test between India and England, which starts today, let us revisit some of the iconic performances from Indian cricketers at the game’s Mecca.
1932: Mohammad Nissar claims the first five-for for India
Playing their first-ever Test, India reduced England to 13 for three in the first hour. CK Nayudu, who was leading India in the Test, noted that Mohammad Nissar, in his first spell, was even faster than England pacer Harold Larwood, a man who terrorized Australia in the Bodyline Series and was the then-fastest bowler in the world.
Nissar became the first Indian to claim a five-for. Douglas Jardine, the England skipper, saved his seasoned side from blushes as India gave a good account of themselves.
Brief scores
England 259 (Douglas Jardine 79, Les Ames 65; Mohammad Nissar 5/93) & 275/8 dec. (Douglas Jardine 85, Eddie Paynter 54; Jahangir Khan 4/60) beat India 189 (Bill Bowes 4/49, Bill Voce 3/23) & 187 (Amar Singh 51; Wally Hammond 3/9) by 158 runs
1936: Amar Singh gets into the act for India
Four years later, India played their second Test on English soil, with the venue being Lord’s. Amar Singh, who became the first half-centurion from India on the 1932 tour, starred with the ball, claiming a six-for. Singh and Nissar exhibited exceptional fast bowling to help India earn a first-innings lead.
It’s another story of India running into a tail-up Gubby Allen, who helped the hosts seal a win.
Brief scores
India 147 (Gubby Allen 5/35, Walter Robins 3/50) & 93 (Gubby Allen 5/43, Hedley Verity 4/17) lost to England 134 (Maurice Leyland 60; Mohammad Nissar 3/36, Amar Singh 6/35) & 108 for 1 (Harold Gimblett 67*) by nine wickets
1952: Vinoo Mankad’s all-round show salvages some pride for India
Only two cricketers have a Test century and a five-wicket haul in an innings at Lord’s. Vinoo Mankad was the first. He scored 72 in the first innings and then sent down 73 overs and claimed a five-for. In the next innings, he led India’s batting charge again with a 184, scoring almost half the side’s runs. The effort wasn’t enough to save a defeat, but Mankad’s spectacular performance is remembered as one of the finest all-round shows at the home of cricket.
Brief scores
India 235 (Vindoo Mankad 72, Vijay Hazare 69; Fred Trueman 4/72, Allan Watkins 3/37) & 378 (Vinod Mankad 184, Vijay Hazare 49; Fred Trueman 4/110, Jim Laker 4/102) lost to England 537 (Len Hutton 150, Reg Simpson 53, Peter May 74, Tom Graveney 73, Godfrey Evans 104; Vinoo Mankad 5/196, Ghulam Ahmed 3/106) & 79 for 2 by eight wickets
1982: Dilip Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev give it all
It’s not often that a player from the losing side gets awarded the Player of the Match. But Kapil Dev's all-rounder efforts at Lord’s was exceptional. A year before he lifted the World Cup at the very venue, his five-for restricted England to 433 in the 1982 Lord's Test. He then scored a quick 41 in India’s 128. Following on, he blasted a 55-ball 89 to ensure England batted again. England needed just 65 for the win, and here was Kapil, who picked up all three wickets.
Another Indian star from the Test was Dilip Vengsarkar, who could do no wrong at Lord’s. His 157 was stroke-filled – an amalgam of artistic wrist-work and power.
Brief scores
England 433 (Ian Botham 67, Derek Randall 126, Phil Edmonds 64, Paul Allott 41*; Kapil Dev 5/125, Madan Lal 3/99) & 67/3 (Kapil Dev 3/43) beat India 128 (Sunil Gavaskar 48, Kapil Dev 41; Ian Botham 5/46, Bob Willis 3/41) & 369 (Dilip Vengsarkar 157, Kapil Dev 89; Bob Willis 6/101) by seven wickets
1986: Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar and Chetan Sharma help India script history at Lord’s
In 1986, India scripted history by winning the Lord’s Test, courtesy of the significant architects – Kapil, Vengsarkar and a 20-year-old Chetan Sharma.
Sharma’s five-for restricted England to 294. Vengsarkar then proceeded to slam his third hundred at Lord’s. Vengsarkar batted with the lower order, who didn’t contribute enough with runs, to ensure India got the lead. Kapil proceeded to dismantle the English batting in the second innings. Despite the jitters, India successfully chased down the target on the morning of the fifth day to record one of the most memorable moments in their cricketing chronicles.
India went on to win the series 2-1.
Brief scores
England 294 (Graham Gooch 114, Derek Pringle 63; Roger Binny 3/55, Chetan Sharma 5/64) & 180 (Kapil Dev 4/52, Maninder Singh 3/9) lost to India 341 (Mohinder Amarnath 69, Dilip Vengsarkar 126; Graham Dilley 4/146, Derek Pringle 3/58) & 136/5 by five wickets