Agarkar's Day Out

Neither Sunil Gavaskar nor Sachin Tendulkar has a Test hundred at Lord’s – Tendulkar’s highest score is a paltry 37 – and while neither man might publicly admit it, it’s a regret they both will carry for the rest of their lives.

It was at Lord’s that Sourav Ganguly announced his arrival on the Test arena, with a hundred on debut in 1996. Rahul Dravid made 95, and had to wait 15 years to set the record straight. There was no such luck, though, for Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Gavaskar, who at least had the consolation of making a massive ton (188) in the bicentennial match of 1987.

Ajit Agarkar, of course, might wonder what the fuss is all about! Two years back, in Australia in 2000, he was nicknamed ‘Sydney’ because he picked up a string of ducks to parallel the five Olympic rings.

In mid-2002, he played one of the innings of India’s tour of England, a blazing hundred that didn’t prevent Ganguly’s men from courting defeat, but which instilled belief and assurance in the Indian ranks. The unlikeliest of Mumbaikars, did someone say, to score a Lord’s ton?!