Lord’s awaits: India poised to script chapter in the home of Cricket

The series now moves to one of cricket’s most storied addresses—St John’s Wood Road, NW8—the postcode of Lord’s, the Home of Cricket. But Lord’s is no ordinary venue. It’s a monument to tradition, a shrine to the game’s aristocratic roots, a place of pilgrimage. Yet for this new-generation Indian team, it is not sanctuary. It is simply the next assignment.Lord’s has its own heartbeat. The Long Room — its walls lined with portraits and silence — can feel like a cathedral of judgement. The short walk from the dressing room to the field is lined with scrutiny. Members in their bacon-and-egg ties, gin and tonic in hand, or puffing a Cuban cigar, offer polite applause or whispered disapproval. It can be suffocating. But this Indian team is young enough to be fearless and seasoned enough to stay focused. They are not seeking validation from nostalgia. They’re here to compete, not commemorate.The ghosts of Lord’s mean little to this generationFor decades, Indian teams walked into Lord’s wide-eyed or weighed down — too much reverence, too little readiness. That energy has shifted. This is a group that carries no emotional baggage from colonial memory or past defeats. Their mindset is not homage — it’s ownership. They aren’t looking to fit into history; they’re here to reshape it.A win at Edgbaston has flipped the narrative. Suddenly, it is India who look the more settled side — even with big names like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Bumrah either missing or rotated. The batting has shown discipline. The bowling, even in the absence of Bumrah last Test, was coordinated, sharp, and relentless. Clinical, yet expressive. Hungry, yet calm. That is a rare blend in Test cricket.Selection dilemmas orjust good problems?With dry, warm weather expected at Lord’s, there is growing merit in bringing in Kuldeep Yadav as a second spinner. His wrist spin could be a point of variation against England’s left-heavy middle order. But the temptation must be weighed against team balance — why disturb a winning combination?The return of Jasprit Bumrah adds its own spice. His inclusion almost certainly pushes out Prasidh Krishna. With Bumrah, Siraj, Akash Deep, Sundar, and Jadeja, India already boast variety — pace, control, and spin. If the surface does deteriorate by Day 4, Jadeja’s accuracy and Sundar’s subtle changes of pace may suffice. Yet Kuldeep’s ability to conjure wickets out of dry phases makes him a wildcard hard to ignore.The very fact that India’s bench has become a bank of match-ready, confident players is testament to the depth of this setup. These are not fringe players — they are hungry contenders. That’s the hallmark of a healthy, well-nurtured team ecosystem.At the top, Shubman Gill has taken ownership. Three centuries in the series already, but more than the runs, it is the composure and clarity that stand out. He is batting like a man who understands his moment. And when a captain scores, his leadership acquires gravity.Yashasvi Jaiswal, all flamboyance and fearlessness, has shown a growing hunger for occupation and application. KL Rahul has brought stability when needed. And in the lower order, the creative genius of Rishabh Pant, alongside Sundar and Jadeja, has added crucial muscle. India are building partnerships. They’re countering fire with calculation. There is no panic. Just purpose.This team does not rely on a single star. It relies on a structure.England: Bazball onthe back footIn contrast, England seem to be caught in a fog. Bazball, that high-risk, high-reward model, is thrilling when it clicks but India’s depth and discipline have started to expose its volatility. The top order has looked fragile. The middle is inconsistent. And the bowling, minus the retired Broad and Anderson, lacks menace.Ben Stokes remains a talisman, warrior, leader, tactician, but he cannot do it all. Mark Wood may return to inject pace. Jofra Archer’s shadow looms large, but fitness questions persist. The spinners have offered little threat. A rethink is needed not just in selection, but in approach.Lord’s has traditionally been a place where England reset, rediscover rhythm. Whether that happens now is uncertain. As it stands, the momentum is firmly with India.From theatre of memoryto stage of changeLord’s is rich with echoes—WG Grace, Bradman, Kapil’s catch, Ganguly’s shirtless celebration. It has been a theatre of memory. But for this Indian team, it’s just another ground. The awe has faded. The focus has sharpened.They are not here to bow before legacy. They’re here to write into it.If Edgbaston was about levelling the series, Lord’s could be about altering the axis of cricketing narrative. India are not playing for acceptance. They are playing with identity.They’ve long proved they belong. Now, they are here to leave a mark.

Lord’s awaits: India poised to script chapter in the home of Cricket

Shishir Hattangadi

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