England vs India: Will ‘Lady Luck’ smile on India’s fortunes at Lord’s?

India’s Test record at Lord’s suggests 17 matches played and just two won. But an insight shows how memorable those victories were. While the first victory way back in 1986, made it possible for Kapil Dev’s India to notch up a maiden 2-0 victory over England on English soil, the next win – almost 28-years later – showed how lethal that nearly – blunt pace attack could be.

Ishant Sharma (7/74) bounced five English batsmen out on that dry pitch of Lord’s after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (6/82) had run through the hosts’ top order in the first innings. And their combined efforts led India to a historic victory at the “Home of cricket.”

Fast forward four years and India once again return to the venue in their whites, only this time looking to put their campaign back on track after a heart-breaking 31-run defeat in the first Test at Edgbaston. Test victories at the “Home of Cricket” may have come very few and far in between for the two-time World champions, but recent records suggest this might be India’s best opportunity to level the five-match Test series.

England’s jinx at Lord’s

England has failed to win any of their last five Test matches against a team from the subcontinent at the Lord’s cricket ground, losing three that includes the 95-run defeat against India and two consecutive losses to Pakistan and another two draws with Sri Lanka.

Also Read: India vs England: Memorable Indian Test victories on English soil

From the agony of going 75 painful years without an Ashes Test win at Lord’s to the most recent drought of just three victories in the last nine Test matches, England has had to face more adversaries at the cricket headquarters than love and glory.

Beginning from mid-June 2014, when England were forced into a draw against Sri-Lanka after failing to take the last wicket, the Three Lions have played nine times at the historic ground but came out victorious just thrice –-those wins coming against New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies—in return they have lost four, three of them coming against sub-continental teams and one against Australia in the 2015 Ashes.

Indian glory at Lord’s

As much as England’s jinx at the “Home of Cricket” and their patchy form contribute to India’s chances of resurfacing the sinking ship, they will certainly know that gallant and bravery have always been rewarded. From Mr. Lord of Lord’s, Dilip Vengsarkar’s three-Test centuries (the only non-England batsman to do so) to Chetan Sharma’s match-winning 5/64, Indian players who have been persistent and patient have always made it big here.

Very few Indian batsmen have succeeded at the Lord’s ground ever since Vinoo Mankad scored a wonderful 184 in 1952. But every time an Indian batsman has hit a Ton it has been memorable, although most of them ended in defeats. Rahul Dravid’s 103* that saved India in the 2007 Test series and Ajinkya Rahane’s century seven years later, Ajit Agarkar’s only century that came in 2002 are such memorable Test tons.

Current Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who aggregated 200 in the opening Test will look to continue his form and so will Rahane who already has his name etched in the Lord’s honours board.

Moreover, with the dry conditions and the unique heat-wave hitting England, India might be tempted to play Kuldeep Yadav alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, who began with a seven-wicket haul in the opening Test.

Will the “Lord’s luck” change India’s fortunes?

When Kapil Dev in 1983 lifted the World Cup, India had already established a love-affair with Lord’s and it extended further with Sourav Ganguly’s majestic shit\rt-celebration at the stadium’s balcony in 2002 after the famous Natwest final win.

And as the Virat Kohli led Indian team step out to the greenish turf on Thursday, they will well be aware of England’s struggles and know that there might not be a better chance to bounce back in the five-match series.

The last three meetings between both the sides have produced just one draw, with either team winning one each at this venue. But England at Lord’s have been more mediocre than successful and this match might just be one the one India needs to bounce back

At the time of writing, Lunch had been called early by the umpires as rain prevented the play from starting in the opening day.