'Extremely special playing at Lord's' - Tendulkar

The honours board, the Long Room, the pavilion, the atmosphere, the food, the tradition and history all add to the aura of playing a Test at Lord's. Seven of India's 16-member squad have experienced the feeling, and one even has his name on the honours board. Thursday can't come soon enough for the other nine.

Sachin Tendulkar first saw Lord's on television, the day India won the 1983 World Cup final. Four years later, he got his first real sighting while touring with the Star Cricket team, a side comprising promising junior cricketers. And in 1990, he played his first Lord's Test and took a spectacular catch to dismiss Allan Lamb. He sprinted from long-off and, with his right hand outstretched, pulled off a low running catch in front of the sight-screen while running at top speed.

When asked how special it was to play here Tendulkar said: "In 1983 I was only 10 and didn't know what was happening. I joined the celebration and those fond memories are there. I remember visiting this ground as a 14-year old kid - we'd travelled with the Star Cricket Team. That time we'd sat next to the sight-screen and took a photo. You have big dreams and one of them was to be out there and play at Lord's.

"In 1990 [Graham] Gooch, [Robin] Smith and [Mohammad] Azharuddin got brilliant hundreds. I had one good catch and nothing else. Having heard and seen the ground so much on TV, one would like to be out there and score runs. I think it's extremely special to be out there in the middle and I think one would want to make the most of it.

Dinesh Karthik's Lord's debut was similar, although it was a one-dayer. He was out of place against Steve Harmison and scored 1 off 12 balls but left his mark in the field with a one-handed leg-side stumping to dismiss Michael Vaughan at a crucial juncture. "It's a fantastic feeling to be at Lord's and it was great just to practise in the side grounds," Karthik said. "Playing out in the centre will be like a dream."

Sourav Ganguly arrived here in 1996 with most of India questioning his place in the side but left triumphant after a sensational hundred on debut. "The frame of mind I had in that Test, I could never have it after," he said about the innings that launched his career. "Probably the best frame of mind I've had in my career. There was no nervousness, no fear of failure.

"It's an age factor. When you're young you don't worry about a lot of things. When you're older, you do. I was more carefree and enjoyed the full five days of the Test match. Those five days were different. Sometimes when you're playing well you're happy, sometimes when you're not playing well, you're worried. That Test, I was not worried."

Sreesanth has been waiting for this moment since 1999, when he was here with an Under-16 side but wasn't allowed into the ground. "I was the only person standing out that day," he said. "I didn't come into the field. I got to know that even if you're a visitor you can't go into the ground. I was standing outside the gate for nearly one-and-a-half hours when the team was inside. From that day I have been hoping to play here.

"The moment I came out of the hotel, I was just waiting for the ground. The moment we reached the gate, I was waiting to see the pavilion. Then I wanted to enter the ground, then to see the pitch, to practice, to bowl. Every step has been a dream. I never thought I'll get here. So many greats have played here. It's very emotional. It will be nice to get the name on the honours board."

Yet it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of the nine players yet to play at this ground, who seemed to be enjoying himself the most. "A lot has been said about Lord's from a historical point of view. I should be saying something else. I think the food is amazing and the desserts are excellent. Look, I am enjoying my ice cream. And after this discussion I am going back [for some more]."