Dhoni won the toss, England finishing a severely rain-interrupted opening day at 2-127 off only 49.2 overs – with Jonathan Trott on 55 and Kevin Pietersen 22.
But this Test is one of major milestones, the likes of which have never been matched at one venue. And how the English like to party when tradition and history surfaces.
This one is a bonanza.
* It’s the 2,000th Test, with the first in 1877 between England and Australia at the MCG, Australia winning by 45 runs.
* It took 100 years to play the first 803 Tests, but only 34 years to play the next 1,197.
* By comparison, there have been 3,172 ODIs in 40 years.
* This is the 100th Test between England and India, and England has won 14 of their 15 meetings at Lords.
* Champion Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar is poised to make his 100th international century – so far 51 in Tests, 48 in ODIs – in his 22nd year of international cricket.
* The odds suggest the extraordinary milestone won’t be reached at the home of cricket, where Tendulkar’s top-score in Tests is 37 from seven digs, and 52 in ODIs from three.
* But there are still three Tests left in the series, at Old Trafford, Edgbaston, and The Oval.
* And the fourth milestone: Indian coach Duncan Fletcher is the first to reach 100 Tests as a national coach – 96 for England from 1999-2007, including regaining the Ashes in 2005 to end an 18-year drought, and four Tests for India, having recently taken over from Gary Kirsten for the tour of the Windies.
As if the milestones aren’t enough, there’s a huge amount of talent and experience on show over the next four days:
England’s selected Andrew Strauss (86 Tests), Alastair Cook (69), Jonathan Trott (22), Kevin Pietersen (75), Ian Bell (66), Eoin Morgan (10), Matt Prior (44), Stuart Broad (38), Graeme Swann (33), Chris Tremlett (10), and James Anderson with 60.
All up 513 caps.
India’s named Gautam Gambhir (39), Abhinav Mukund (4), Rahul Dravid (154), Sachin Tendulkar (178), VVS Laxman (124), Dhoni (58), Suresh Raina (12), Harbhajan Singh (97), Praveen Kumar (4), Zaheer Khan (79), and Ishant Sharma’s 35.
A massive 784 caps.
As an aside:
* Dravid has batted the longest time in Test career history (43,233 minutes, or a tick over 30 days).
* Tendulkar has scored the most runs (14,692), made the most centuries (51), and played the most Tests (178).
Now it’s up to Mother Nature to behave and not ruin what promises to be a rare, and historic, Test.
Lolly
Guest
India never give themselves enough warm-up matches. Ridiculous way to approach tours. Got to feel for them though, players are dropping like flies in this match.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
England 230-3. Dhoni bowling and looking rather impressive!
Lee McDonald
Roar Guru
England are actually 3rd in the Test Rankings going into this series. Not 2nd as stated in this article. http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/match_zone/team_ranking.php However, they can rise to number 1 by winning the series by 2 clear matches.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
David, I did not realise that the ongoing Lord's Test is the 100th for Duncan Fletcher as a coach. It's paradoxical that Tendulkar's top score in a Lord's Test is 37 whereas prize rabbit Ajit Agarkar from India scored an unbeaten 109 against England in the 2002 Lord's Test. And why is Agarkar a prize rabbit? In the Test series against Australia in 1999-2000 he had scored 19 & 0 (out first ball) in the Adelaide Test; 0 & 0 (out first ball i both innings) in the Melbourne Test and 0 (out first ball) & 0 (out second ball) in the Sydney Test. Thus he recorded five 0s in a row off six balls faced in three Tests. And yet he scores an unbeaten century in a Lord's Test three years later! Curious and curiouser. Another coincidence. The milestones of the Lord's Test are recorded by Mr D Lord!