5 legends who made their Test debut at Lord's

If there is one venue in the world where every cricketer wants to play Test cricket, then it is the iconic Lord's cricket ground. Known as the home of cricket, Lord's forms one of the age-old traditions of the sport.

The ground got its name from the builder Thomas Lord. Lord and his team built three stadiums, of which the third - which was opened in 1814 - is used to host games.

There are several factors associated with this place which make it unique. The long room and the slope are two such factors associated with the historic ground which have now become part of folklore.

Jofra Archer impressed with the ball on his Test debut

The honours board and the media center are the two iconic parts of the ground which are now being replicated in many other stadiums. Players take pride in playing at the venue, and a few are lucky enough to make their debuts at this legendary place - with Jofra Archer being the latest.

Here's a look at five greats who made their Tests debut at Lord's.

#5 Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen took the attack to the opposition

Kevin Pietersen's selection in the 2005 Ashes squad created ripples as his in-your-face attitude didn't go well with the England fans. But Michael Vaughan decided to give him his debut match at Lord's in the first Test of the series.

Pietersen's debut innings silenced every critic, as his aggressive approach helped England recover from 21/5. He top-scored in both the innings which salvaged some pride as his team lost the match by 239 runs.

But he helped his team stage a comeback, and he ended the series as the highest run-scorer. His counter-attacking 158 despite being pitted against Shane Warne's best in the fifth Test showcased his ability against quality spin bowling.

Pietersen showed that again on a square turner against India in Mumbai in 2012 which helped England win a Test series in India after 28 years.

Controversies cut short Pietersen's career, but he was magnificent till the day he represented the Three Lions.

#4 Sourav Ganguly

Ganguly en route to his maiden century

India carried the tag of poor travelers when they toured England in 1996. Their hopes rested entirely on the shoulders of the then 23-year-old Sachin Tendulkar.

Barring Tendulkar's century, India had a horrible first match. In a bid to change their fortunes, the selectors gave Sourav Ganguly his Test debut at Lord's.

Coming in to bat at No: 3, Ganguly impressed everyone with his strokeplay on the off-side. His ability to score boundaries off both the front foot and the back foot surprised the English bowlers as they struggled with their lengths against him.

The left-hander ended up scoring 131 with 20 boundaries and earned a place on the iconic honours board.

Ganguly contributed with the ball as well, picking up three wickets. He continued his good form in the next match with a 136.

Ganguly had a brilliant career as the captain of India, where he stabilized the team after the match-fixing scandal of 1999. It was under his captaincy that India's attitude towards overseas Tests changed.

#3 Steve Smith

Smith was picked as a leg-spinner

It is one of the sport's great ironies that this generation's best Test batsman made his debut as a leg-spinner. Steve Smith made his debut at Lord's against Pakistan, whose home venue was England for a while due to security concerns.

Smith was seen as a potential replacement for Shane Warne. Although Smith didn't bowl in the first innings, it was him and Marcus North who wreaked havoc in the second innings by picking up nine wickets combined.

Smith couldn't cement his place though, and was dropped after five Tests. He made a comeback to the team in 2013 and played crucial knocks in every series.

It was in the 2014-15 home summer that Smith proved his worth weight in gold as he scored centuries in all four Tests against India. He also played a key role in Australia winning their fifth World Cup crown in 2015.

Smith's rise in the longer format has been unstoppable as he has scored runs everywhere. Doubts were raised after the ball-tampering incident of 2018, but he answered them with twin centuries in the Edgbaston Test of the 2019 Ashes.

#2 James Anderson

Anderson is the most successful fast bowler of all time

The most successful fast bowler in the history of the game, James Anderson made his Test debut at the oldest Test venue in the game.

Opening the bowling against Zimbabwe in 2003, Anderson picked up his first wicket-haul in his debut innings. His love affair with Lord's continued for years as he picked up his 300th and 500th wickets at the historic venue.

He kept bowling the fullish length in the corridor of uncertainty, which made the batsmen play and fall prey to his trap. The Lancashire man bowled many brilliant spells in overcast conditions. With the slope being an extra addition at Lord's, he was unplayable at times.

His tally of 103 wickets is the highest for any fast bowler at a single venue - a clear indication of his dominance. Anderson and Stuart Board have formed one of the most dangerous bowling pairs ever seen in the sport.

#1 Rahul Dravid

Dravid's technique was perfect for Tests

Rahul Dravid - one of the greatest Test batsmen of all time - made his debut at Lord's in 1996 along with Sourav Ganguly.

Coming into the team on the back of tons of runs in the domestic circuit, Dravid was determined to succeed. That was evident in his debut match, as he saved the Indian innings after a flurry of wickets - something that he would keep doing throughout his career.

Dravid's perfect stance and straight bat for every ball showed the world that he had the technique to do well in international cricket. But it was the grit that he displayed to stay at the crease and build an innings perfectly, like the alignment of bricks in a wall, that brought him worldwide fame.

Dravid ended with 95 in his debut match, batting beautifully with the tail to add 133 for the last four wickets.

Dravid played many gritty knocks which are regarded among the greatest in Test history. His 180* in Kolkata 2001 and 233 in Adelaide 2003 helped script historic Test victories after conceding the lead.

Dravid will not only be on the honours board of Lord's, but also in every book of Test cricket history.