Reminisced old iconic moments of 1983 World Cup and 2002 NatWest Bank Series
Did you know that cricket originated in England and reached India through the Parsis, who were the first team from India to tour England in 1886? They also formed the first cricket club in India.
Then came the 1983 historic Cricket World Cup (Prudential Cup ’83), in which India won by 43 runs against the West Indies at the Lord’s Cricket Stadium.
If you saw the 83 (Hindi)movie in 2021 or revisited the story regarding this World Cup, you would know that nobody was expecting this win, not even the Indian cricket board, as India’s performance in previous World Cups had not been up to par. Due to this, the 1983 victory became personal for every Indian cricket fan (Hindustanis/Bhartiya).
Another landmark moment from the “Home of Cricket” is the spectacular 2002 NatWest Series final, in which India defeated England. Sourav Ganguly, captain of the Indian team and also known as Sourav Dada, stood on the balcony at Lord’s and removed his jersey to express his happiness and as a response to Andrew Flintoff’s previous act at the Wankhede Stadium.
You must be thinking, why am I discussing these victories, especially the ones that were achieved at the Lord’s?
Growing up in India, I know that Lord’s has been the folklore of Indian Cricket history after these matches, and so it’s a dream for every ardent fan to watch one match live at this ground and have an epiphany of those celebratory moments.
I am not a cricket fan, but my husband is. He never shed tears while watching a rom-com, but became emotional while watching the “Prudential Cup” moment in the 83 movie.
Our First Visit to Lord’s in 2022
So, I booked a surprise tour of the Lord’s for us. We explored all the nostalgic moments related to India’s achievements:
- Original Prudential Trophy in its museum
- Balcony of the players’ dressing room that got viral from the 2002 NatWest series
- Engraved milestones on The Lord’s Father Time Wall
- The Long Room
- Names of Indian cricketers on Lord’s Honour Board.
India Vs England Test 2025
On 14th July, we got an exclusive opportunity to witness the fifth day of the India vs England Test (third) at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, and we accepted it with open arms, living every second of it.
India had yet to score 135 runs with six wickets, so everyone was anticipating that the match would begin at 11 am and finish during lunch. Still, Ravindra Jadeja, Bumrah, and KL Rahul became the saviours, and thankfully, it continued until 5 pm.
After the lunch break, Jadeja fought alone, hauling India from 112/8 to 170 and at last, Mohammed Siraj was out dramatically, making India lose by 22 runs.
It was saddening to see India fail, but they played well, and even the English people were hurling their praises for them.
Our Highlights from This Experience
We gathered many unforgettable moments from this match. Many fans in the crowd were wearing blue jerseys, shouting “Chak De India” slogans, chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” and giving a standing ovation whenever the players scored a 4 or 6.
While England team supporters were shouting “Stokesy,” Indian team fans were singing praises of “Jaddu” and “Boom boom Bumrah.”
We saw Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Kartik, K.C. Sangakkara and Alastair Cook roaming on the ground. Later, we saw Akshay Kumar beside Ravi Shastri on the screen.
To sum up: A happy meal makes even sad endings happy, so if you ever get the chance to witness a match at Lord’s stadium, don’t forget to buy Biryani and Aloo Papdi Chaat from Spice Kitchen irrespective of the win or loss of your favourite team.
Instagram Reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMG0mzMt-XE/
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