THE battle for the number one ICC Test spot has generated tremendous international interest and stirred much debate among the game’s aficionados, especially the purists who regale in the historical significance of the outstanding performances and achievements of leading players and teams over the years. Currently, India hold the number one ICC ranking and they are engaged in fierce fight with England who fancy themselves of taking over as the game’s leading Test nation.
Even if the Englishmen achieved their desired goal of ascending to the pinnacle of the Test ratings board, they still pride themselves of Ashes victory as their most notable and passionate achievement in their traditional contest with arch-rival Australia.
Anything else outside of their intensely-fought battles with the Aussies is really minor signposts in their Test cricket history.
However, the current series against the visiting India team has generated much more interest and following because of their quest to become number one-ranked Test team. And the English authorities and team members, including technical and administrative members, pooled all their thought processes, resources, personnel or strategic activities to accomplish their mission of beating the Indians who have taken over as the top Test nation within the last two years.
India rule over the Australians who nose-dived to number five in the rankings during the period under consideration.
The just-concluded First Test at the MCC, Lord’s ground, took on an added dimension with the number of important milestones to be achieved at their famous ground, which is considered and promoted as the home of cricket.
Historically, it was 2 000th Test match overall, plus it was also the 100th Test between England and India. While those numbers hold the attention of the game’s statisticians, broadcasters and media personnel, ardent fans were fascinated with Sachin Tendulkar getting his 100th International career century (Tests-51, ODIs-48).
Test matches are usually contested between nations but the lone ‘Super Test’ between Australia and a Combined World XI in 2005, during the failed ICC Super Series project, should be considered an anomaly in the real tradition of the game and should not be counted in the overall aggregate of Tests among the ten established Test nations.
One of the biggest factors that hold interest and stirred much debate in recent times has been the declining fortunes and attendance at Test match cricket.
Apart from series involving England and Australia in England or ‘Down Under’ or home series for the attractive India team, there are dwindling spectator interest and diminished financial returns from gate receipts because of lack of interest from spectators who are attracted to the new hybrid version of Limited-Overs cricket, the phenomenal Twenty20 format, that has surpassed all expectations of its viability and worldwide appeal.
The T20 tournaments, especially the BCCI’s flourishing Indian Premier League (IPL) has greater pull and impact on fanatical followers among the younger Indian generation whose love for the combination of cricket and Bollywood razzmatazz has become insatiable.
In addition, massive sponsorship deals and international Television coverage have also added multi-million-dollar contracts to the players and the bank accounts of the respective Cricket Boards.
Unquestionably, most of the money from sponsors and media establishments is invested in the shorter formats of the game.
With the drastic reduction of Test match crowds in all the countries, expect India, England and to a lesser extent Australia; many people, including former leading players and administrators, have been forecasting the demise of Test cricket.
Some of the converted cynics have boldly predicted that Test match long-term viability will not only be shaken but that in less than three decades from now, Test cricket will descend into terminal decline with its eventual death-knell to be sounded across the global landscape. 
But with the massive promotion of the ‘Summit Clash’ between India and England and an opportunity for England to beat their counterparts by a two-match margin to claim the topmost rank, ticket sales surpassed all expectations with massive sold-out crowds on all five days at Lord’s.
And they were richly rewarded with a totally engrossing encounter that provided all the thrills and a historic victory for the English team which fought with extreme passion and unrelenting aggression throughout the enthralling battle for supremacy in the ‘Red Cherry’ game.
India were undeniably handicapped by the loss of services of their key players; swing bowler Zaheer Khan (hamstring muscle pull on first day), world’s multiple world record holder Sachin Tendulkar (viral infection and weakness) and the experienced opener Gautam Gambhir (shoulder injury) during the match.
Their combined absence from the infield affected the balance of the team and also undermined their confidence and overall strength at crucial stages.
Buoyed against a weakened and morally shaken opposition, the rampant and fired-up Englishmen responded to the challenge with some of their career-best performances and eventually overpowered the Indians to celebrate a historic 196-run victory.
There were many special moments for the enthusiastic crowds who feasted on wholesome cricket entertainment by both teams. But the most poignant one of the Lord’s Test was to witness the many non-ticket holders who turned up optimistically to get an opportunity to be part of history on the fifth and final days’ play.
Their early morning arrivals and long queues signalled that Test match cricket has been revitalised and will engage the attention and enthrall millions well beyond the next century.
There were many notable performers in the England team but the spotlight were on four players; Kevin Pietersen, wicketkeeper Matthew Prior and Stuart Broad, whose solid performances engineered England victory and provided the Englishmen much to celebrate at their headquarters.
South African-born Kevin Pietersen, playing in his 75th Tests and in his 128th innings notched his third Test double (unbeaten 202), his highest at Lord’s; and his 18th century overall which puts him in joint seventh position with David Gower (18 centuries, 117T, 204 innings), Michael Vaughan (18c, 82T, 147inns) and Alastair Cook (18c, 69T, 120inns) in the overall England’s Test Centurions list.
Walter Hammond (22 centuries, 85 Tests, 140 Inns.), Colin Cowdrey (22c, 114T, 188inns), Geoffrey Boycott (22c, 108T, 193inns); Ken Barrington (20c, 82T, 131inns), Graham Gooch (20c, 118T, 215inns); Leonard Hutton (19c, 79T, 138inns) and Andrew Strauss (19c, 86T, 152inns) lead the distinguished group.
It was Pietersen’s fifth century at Lord’s which puts him just behind Gooch and Vaughan with six each and he becomes England’s best overseas-born Test centurion at the hallowed ground. He pipped fellow South African-born Allan Lamb and current captain Andrew Strauss who each notched four centuries there.
The pugnacious right-hander got a big reprieve at 49 when he survived a disputed catch taken by Rahul Dravid at leg slip position off Praveen Kumar, who emerged as India’s most successful bowler with his maiden Test five-for. He finished with 5 for 106 and got his name on the honours board.
Probably that was the major turning point of the match as England had reached 173 for 3. Pietersen then went on to share three other important partnerships – 110 for the fourth wicket with Ian Bell (45), 120 for the sixth with Matthew Prior (71) and 61 for the eighth with Graeme Swann (24).
England posted 474 for 8 declared and then restricted the powerful Indian batting line-up to 286. Rahul Dravid topscored with 103, his 33rd Test century and his first at Lord’s. In the process he surpassed Australia’s Steve Waugh who finished his illustrious 165-Test career with 32 centuries.
When on 46 not out, Dravid advanced down the pitch and skilfully flicked Graeme Swann to the mid-wicket boundary and eclipsed Australia’s Ricky Ponting to become the world’s second leading aggregate run-getter to his compatriot Tendulkar who amassed 14 738 in his178-Test career.
The 38-year-old Dravid finished the Lord’s Test, his career 154th match with 12 453 runs which bettered Ponting’s 152nd career record of 12 363 runs.
It was the transformation of pacer Stuart Board that gave England the impetus to push for victory. Applying a better strategy of bowling fuller length deliveries on the seaming conditions, he ripped apart India’s formidable middle-order to finish with four wickets for 37 from 22 overs.
In the second innings, he was equally deadly to capture three wickets for 57 from 20.3 overs and with his superlative unbeaten 74 in the second innings when England were tottering at 162 for 6, he must have fancied his chances of getting the ‘Player-of-the-Match’ award, which went to Pietersen for his double-century that put England in the driver’s seat – a position which they never relinquished.
Prior also excelled with the bat and the gloves but it was his third century at Lord’s which provided his team with a big cushion to press home the victory charge. He made 71 in the first innings and followed with an attractive unbeaten 103 off 120 balls, having featured in a 162-run seventh-wicket partnership with Broad whose attacking instincts have made him a useful all-rounder.
Despite Suresh Raina’s determined 78, India folded for 261 as James Anderson grabbed five wickets for 65 runs to polish off the lower order after Broad had made the early inroads and returned to capture the final wicket to spark massive celebrations at Lord’s and all around England.
It was the aggression by the English players and genuine lack of match fitness for some of India’s leading players that contributed to England’s joy and pride as Test cricket’s future and longevity have been enhanced by some of the game’s most passionate players and supporters, both English and Indians.
While Twenty20s and ODIs formats have their own attractiveness, Test cricket’s charm and riveting rivalry will preserve its appeal and prominence among purists and leading world-class players whose exploits will always generate healthy debate and serve to define the player’s greatness across all generations.