The unbeatable magic of Test cricket at Lord's
The World Test Championship final was great because it had compelling cricket, serious bat versus ball stuff, not the mindless bat-bat slaughter of T20s. Bowlers called the shots, and this time the batsmen, asked 'out of syllabus' questions, were running scared.
Openers from both sides made zeroes while Mitchell Starc the No.9 scored an unbeaten 58 — lasting 136 balls, longer than the top five batsmen put together. This was red-ball cricket gold, not fake white-ball slog contests we are used to. The languid subtlety of cricket in the WTC final highlighted the crudity of the shorter format. After the first four overs no runs were scored, and the tense inactivity was far more thrilling than watching 75 smashed in a 6-over Powerplay. Batsmen got in line instead of staying leg side to flay a length ball. Respectful defensive shots instead of savage assaults to balls in the slot.
Test cricket at Lord's on a sun drenched day, unfolding in an unhurried manner is unbeatable. The 214-year-old home of cricket is an iconic venue that has history, nostalgia and loads of tradition. Its celebrated slope poses a unique challenge as fast bowlers coming down from the pavilion end can find the splice of the bat rather than the middle. And a spinner's delivery, seemingly harmless, could spit off a length and loop to close-in catchers.
But is Lord's really special, a venue on the bucket list of every cricketer? Or, has clever marketing enlarged its image to create an aspirational brand? Bit of both but the overwhelming opinion supports what Sachin Tendulkar, a king-size brand himself, said: 'This is the ground where all players dream of getting a hundred…It's extremely special to be in the middle here'.
Cricket is notoriously uncertain and frustratingly unforgiving, so don't miss the irony of what Sachin, modern cricket's biggest star, had to say. The master played 200 Tests, scored 100 international hundreds and his name is inscribed in practically every batting record book — yet that one century at Lord's eluded him.
Not just for players, Lord's offers an outstanding stadium experience (the current buzzword) to all stakeholders, especially fans for whom everything is, to use a government expression, 'taken care'. Spectators are allowed to bring food, even booze, but with a gentle warning – 'only a reasonable amount'. A dress code applies, casual clothes are fine provided they are 'reasonably smart'. Team support jerseys, track pants, flip flops not allowed. Also, no flags, no horns, no hooters.
Yet, despite its somewhat starchy position of maintaining old fashioned decorum and decency Lord's is incredibly friendly. During lunch when everyone is walking around the narrow passage near the Harris Garden and the Grand Stand, helpful ushers guide spectators, telling them to keep left, like traffic police in the rush hour.
Lord's also presents a modern face by going digital. There are boards saying Lord's is cashless.
The Lord's Test is a major social, cultural event in the England summer – together with Wimbledon, Silverstone, The Open and Ascot. Not to be missed events, which is why they are invariably sold out and tickets are scarce.
The WTC final, and Lord's, delivered all that a big sporting event should. The game drew a full house, some obviously planned this in advance, hoping India would be playing.
First two days when the ball moved, batsmen froze, prodding tentatively at balls, playing and missing. Sunil Gavaskar, watching the proceedings with his customary sharp eye, pointed out this was a tough test of technique and temperament.
Batsmen have to grind, show respect, show patience, play time and look to seize moments that impact the outcome.
Test match batting is more than intent and going out to express yourself. It is layered and nuanced and, often, defensive batting is tactical, dictated by the match situation. Blocking is not passive surrender but active non-cooperation.
India has had a proud history of success at Lord's, both in terms of team success and individual player brilliance. Next month India will be back at Lord's for a Test, a team in transition under a new captain, missing top players Kohli and Rohit. But as players descend the stairs from the visitors' dressing room they will see portraits of Tiger Pataudi and Sachin and Dilip Vengsarkar.
And as Shubman Gill takes the final few steps through the famous Long Room, legends Bishan Bedi and Kapil Dev will be looking at him.
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