No one in his right senses will deny that we would certainly have lost the first Test at Lord's had the rain not rescued us, denying England, by the wafer thin margin of one wicket, a chance to go one up in the series.
Had England had won at Lord's, it would have been a Herculean task for Rahul Dravid and company to come back in the series, let alone think of winning it. The history of Indian cricket affords many instances of the national side losing the first Test in England and consequently the series as well.
It has been proved from time to time that even for the best of teams, losing the first Test to the hosts can have a huge psychological impact in the rest of the matches. They usually find it hard to come back in the series. An early lead not only lifts the morale of the hosts but also encourages them go for the kill. So Rahul Dravid and his men should thank their stars for having escaped from the jaws of certain defeat very early in the rubber.
Image: Umpires Simon Taufel (left) and Steve Bucknor check their light meters as the Indian batsmen look on during day five of the first Test at Lord's in London on July 23, 2007.
India in the United Kingdom 2007
Advertisement
