The Indian cricket team has always been considered weak tourists, contrary to the aura of invincibility that surrounds them at home. But occasionally, they have raised the level of performance to sublime levels to leave their opponents and the world in a daze.
Some 21 years ago, a set of Indian players did that in England, and it still stands as one of the loftiest achievements in the country's rich cricketing history.
Like many other great victories in the past, this one was also built on collective effort, but one man's contribution stood out for its sense of occasion and timing.
Dilip Vengsarkar made a superb hundred in Lord's which played a significant part in India's triumph, their first Test win in the most celebrated cricket venue.
The current chairman of national selection committee has not forgotten those heady days when Indian cricket shook Old Blighty out of slumber.
On a roll
“It was a great win. We had won the World Cup in 1983, and two years later, we had won the World Championship of Cricket in Australia, so we were on a roll, on top of the world, probably you say.
“But a Test series win against England on their soil was something special," Vengsarkar said of the 1986 series.
"That England side was very strong. They were superior to Australia and even ran the West Indies close on many occasions. It was also our first Test win at Lord’s.
“It was personally satisfying as it was my third hundred at Lord’s, something nobody outside of England had done before or since," he said.
Pat for Chetan
The former middle-order batsman rated the effort of pace bowler Chetan Sharma as an equally important one. "Chetan bowled pretty well in that match and got lot of wickets, which means that in the end, we needed only manageable runs to win which we acquired pretty easily.
“Chetan exploited the Lord's conditions -- I think it has got more slope than any other ground in the world -- very well to give us the edge in the Test," Vengsarkar said.
However, Vengsarkar was quick to add that he valued the four hundreds at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi as highly as those Lord's centuries.
"People often speak only about my hundreds at Lord's. But I have scored four hundreds at Kotla, perhaps an unparalleled feat. Every batsman has a favourite venue where he feels he can score at any time.
“Kotla and Lord's were like that to me. Of course, Lord's is a special venue because of the history and tradition that surrounds it. Like any other player, I am also happy to be a part of history," he said.
Exuding confidence
Vengsarkar exuded confidence that the current bunch of Indians would do well in the Test series, starting at the same venue where he made history.
"This side has a good mix of youth and experience. Players like Rahul, Sachin, Sourav and Laxman have a lot of experience in these conditions, and that should help the team.
“Youngsters like Yuvraj, Kaarthick and Dhoni are capable of making a mark here and I think we have a good chance of pulling it off," he said.