“The Home of Cricket” is what best describes the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club, Lord’s was named after Thomas Lord, the English cricketer. The ground has also been termed as the ‘Mecca of Cricket’ by worshippers of the game. Playing at Lord’s, let alone scoring a century or taking a hat-trick there, would be every cricketer’s aspiration.

A venue with so much history attached to it, the Lord’s Cricket Ground has served as home to the England Cricket Board, and until recently the ICC. Although considered a heritage site by many, the ground adapted to changing times, and came up with a new media centre earlier in the decade of 2000s. With so much history attached to it, it was but obvious that the Lord’s Cricket Ground would contain a museum in its premises – it houses the oldest sports museum in the world, and on display are some of the finest cricketing treasures, including ‘The Ashes’ and equipment used by Sir Don Bradman. When authorities decided to relay the outfield, they put up blocks of the turf for sale, and ardent worshippers of the game lapped up the pieces of turf.

It was at this very historic ground that Indian stalwarts Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their Test debuts for India, the latter scoring a blazing maiden hundred. Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar holds the unique distinction of scoring three Test hundreds at this venue. In 2011, Lord's witnessed history as it hosted the 2000th Test match ever, which was also the 100th Test between England and India.