One final time at Lord's

For any cricket fan, watching a match at Lord’s is nothing less than a pilgrimage. And what if the God of cricket himself is in action at that very venue? That certainly is like a dream come true. When Sachin Tendulkar takes the field on July 21st, it will in all probabilities be his last outing at the pious ground. It will also be his final chance to amend his records at Lord’s.


As compared to his career average of 56.94, Sachin averages just 21.28 in 4 Tests with 37 being his highest score. Going by the stats, Sachin has never played this much at a venue without scoring a half-century. If Sachin doesn’t do well there this time, my belief from the universal equilibrium will be lost forever. Dramatic it may sound, but it’s just that Sachin finally graces Lord’s with something extraordinary on his last outing.

But it’s not only Sachin who needs to fire. Two of India’s best ever talents will also be playing their last Tests at Lord’s, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. Interestingly, none of these three batsmen have scored a century at Lord’s.

Dravid, who made his debut here, could have made an exception had he not departed for 95 runs in his maiden Test in 1996. Since then, he has played two more matches there. This means in three Tests at Lord’s, Dravid averages 43 in comparison to his career average of 52. His last half-century came in 2002. Dravid who has 32 Test centuries has not been able to score a single one at Lord’s.

Laxman, on the other hand, has a better average at Lord’s in comparison to his career average. He averages 57 in 2 Tests with 74 being his highest score. But then, he too has failed to see a three-digit figure against his name at Lord’s.

Knowing the temperament of these three, the prospect doesn’t look impossible. However, it’s not going to be easy either, given the form and ability of the English attack.

Sachin, who is just one century short of his 100th international hundred, cannot treat his fans in a more grand way than if he gets it in the first Test against England. It would just set the tempo for the series.

Will the Talented Trio fire one final time at Lord’s and answer our prayers? Fingers crossed!