3 defining moments from India's win over England at Lord's in 2014

England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day One
England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day One

The victory at Lord's in 2014 goes down as one of the greatest Test triumphs in Indian Cricket history. Against a rejuvenated English side. the visitors put on a remarkable show to clinch only their 2nd ever win at the Home of Cricket in 86 years.

Here we look at some of the defining moments of that game that'll not only gratify Indian Cricket fans but may also serve as a necessary inspiration-seeking ground for a grief-stricken Indian side.


Rahane steals the show with a scintillating ton

17th July 2014 is a day Ajinkya Rahane will forever remember and cherish. The day he got his name engraved on the prestigious Honour Boards of Lord's. Coming in at a time when India were wrestling to pull out of England's stranglehold and put on a partnership of significance, Rahane began proceedings with his typical, composed fashion.

The wickets, though, kept tumbling around him as a sorry looking Indian middle order slumped, leaving India reeling at 128 for 6. It was post-tea that he decided to up the ante as he caressed some sizzling drives and constructed a solid stand worth 90 runs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Despite losing the support of his partners from the other end, the flow of runs from Rahane's bat didn't stop. The highlight of his knock came when he elegantly chipped Jimmy Anderson over mid-on for a breathtaking six. Soon after, Rahane punched the ball into the off-side to register a marvellous century: one he will hold in high regard for a long, long time. Rahane drenched into the overwhelming applause and rescued India from falling into a massive hole.

Kumar puts on a seam-bowling masterclass

England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day Two
England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day Two

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's debut appearance at the Home of Cricket will also be the most memorable in his, so far, illustrious career. His seam-bowling guile was right on cue from the beginning and completely stunted England's progress.

Kumar got scalps of both openers: Alastair Cook and Sam Robson, with deliveries that curled away from the batsmen, induced half-drives, half-nudges and carried all the way into MS Dhoni's gloves. Kumar then got Ian Bell and Gary Ballance right when they looked set to shape up handy partnerships and made breakthroughs at crucial instances.

But the ball that got rid of Ben Stokes was the highlight of his staggering outing: it was an absolute ripper. Pitching middle and off, it sneaked back through the gates left opened between bat and pad to upset the timberwork. Kumar finished with figures of 6 for 82 that remain his career-best numbers, till date. With this scintillating spell, he ensured that England's lead only swelled to barely 24 runs.

Sharma's short-ball barrage

England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day Five
England v India: 2nd Investec Test - Day Five

Ishant Sharma's fast-bowling stint at Lord's is meant to be forever enshrined and commemorated as one of the greatest spells in Indian pace-bowling history. A spell that led India to their first victory in a foreign Test in nearly three painful years. Unlike Kumar's expertise in seam and control, this voodoo was characterized by sheer aggression and rage.

In chase of a 300-plus runs target and initially down and out at 72 for 4, Moeen Ali and Joe Root had piled up a significant partnership in the opening session of the day. With tenacity and gritty skill, they looked set to move into lunch with no blows taken.

Ishant, however, had other ideas. He served up a surprising short delivery at Ali, right at the brink of lunch. Not expecting such a hostile delivery that was heading up to his head, Ali half-ducked, half-bunted at it. The old cherry smashed into his gloves and was gobbled by Pujara at short leg. India had made the dent, only for the havoc to unroll in the post-lunch session.

Matt Prior played a stroke what most described as a shocker. With three men out in the deep and two overs left before the new ball became due, he hooked Sharma straight down the throat of one of the fielders deep in the leg-side. Sharma got a sniff. So did India. The trap had worked.

What followed was an engrossing spell that not many could get their eyes off from. Within a space of some deliveries (read breaths), Sharma had knocked off both Ben Stokes and Joe Root with seething short balls headed to their skulls: the incomplete pulls and hooks only making it as far as in the hands of the running-in fielders.

Sharma was wildly darting around all over Lord's; the fielders tailing him as India pulled off a remarkable victory to go 1-0 up in the series. His sensational figures of 7 for 74 still remain his career-best numbers.

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