Spicy tradition flows at Lord’s

The Long Room at Lord’s, where the MCC members forgot their manners last week. Pic/Getty Images

In 1979, I was into my second year of cricket-following. I had not heard of Lord's. More familiar venues in my adolescent mind were Wankhede and Chidambaram, Chinnaswamy and Brabourne.

Across my Prabhadevi home was one section of a cottage from where a tireless, busy Ganesh idol maker, Mr Malvankar operated. He worked relentlessly, only complaining of a hurting back amidst his daily stress.

Year after year Mr Malvankar's son Vijay took leave from his employers as Ganesh Chaturthi approached and spent his days at Prabhadevi, using his expertise to paint the Ganesh idols' eyes. While I watched him work with thin brushes, Vijay talked cricket.

He told me how Sunil Gavaskar had criticised the 1976 Jamaica crowd in Sunny Days. "What is Sunny Days," I asked, only to be told that it is a book. It appeared Vijay followed every Test match.

This was 1979. He was well aware of how India lost the opening Test of the 1979 series against England at Edgbaston. He dwelled on the second Test at Lord's where India were bowled out for 96 in the first innings and how a better show in the second innings through century efforts from Dilip Vengsarkar and Gundappa Viswanath helped India draw the Test.

He then informed me that the next Test was to be held in a place called Leeds.

Leeds… what a fascinating name I thought. I lapped that up better than in 2002, when a Pakistani taxi driver said he would take me to "Leed."

I lost touch with Vijay and haven't met him since I shifted residence from Prabhadevi. Who knows if he and I reunite through this open letter.

Dear Vijay,
Hope you are well and still following cricket. I distinctly remember our conversations and you being the first to tell me about Lord's and Leeds. What a pity that Lord's is in the news for the wrong reasons. Do you think Australia's wicketkeeper Alex Carey should have hit the stumps when Jonny Bairstow left his crease at the end of an over? By the way, Jonny is the son of the late David, who played in the Oval Test of that 1979 series which we spoke about.

It's interesting Vijay that Lord's, for all its stature and tradition, has been a venue of many incidents and controversies.

I am sure you know about how England fast bowler John Snow shoved Sunil Gavaskar there in 1971 while our hero was completing a run.

Four years later in the Ashes Test there, a streaker named Michael Angelow ran on to the turf stark naked, amusing some and embarrassing others at the home of cricket. And John Arlott in the commentary box was moved to exclaim, "We've got a freaker. He's down the wicket now. Not very shapely, and it's masculine. And I would think it's seen the last of its cricket for the day."

Then there was this topless female intruder in 1986, holding a ‘Bring Back Botham' (the England all-rounder was serving a ban) banner disturbing the India versus England Test action much to the annoyance of Gavaskar who was at the crease with K Srikkanth.

I ended up being a cricket reporter who was sent to cover a series there in 2002. After the NatWest series, which India famously won, I stayed back for the Lord's Test. And what do I see? Another controversy hitting the London venue. On Day Four of the Test, an Australian fan accompanied an already disappointed Sachin Tendulkar (dismissed for 12) on his way back to the fabled pavilion. What if that intruder harmed Tendulkar, we all wondered. This was the same Test in which Harsha Bhogle and his colleague Gautam Bhimani, representing ESPN then, were at the receiving end of utter rude behaviour from a ground steward. Bhimani was even assaulted.

And what happened eight summers later, when the Pakistani cricketers were accused of spot fixing in the 2010 Lord's Test, established that this malaise was still very much part of the game.

I read later that there was even a bomb threat at Lord's during the England v West Indies Test of 1973. Eighty-nine minutes of play was lost and poor Dickie Bird, umpiring in only his third Test, was petrified unlike the West Indian supporters. When some of them landed on the ground (instead of adhering to leave-the-ground instructions) and noticed how scared Bird was, they said to him (according to Bird's autobiography): "Don't you worry about the bomb, Mr Dickie Bird. Just look at that total on the scoreboard and worry about that." Bird looked up and saw West Indies were 652 for eight.

I almost forgot to include Mike Atherton's dirt-in-the- pocket incident, which soiled his reputation during England's 1994 battle against South Africa at Lord's.
And by the way, the Australian cricketers being booed by the members in the Long Room during last week's Test is so despicable that mere suspension of their membership won't do. The offenders should cease to be members for life.

I guess we've had enough of this drama at Lord's, Vijay. Just like you told me in 1979, the next Test is at Leeds.

It was a rain-marred Test in 1979 and I hope the weather won't be a hindrance out there like way back then.

Keep well and thank you for ‘introducing' me to Lord's and Leeds.

mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello

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