In 1996, Sourav Ganguly walked out at No. 3 and walked back with a Lord’s century on debut
It was June 22, 1996 — a lovely English summer's day at Lord's. The sun winked through the clouds now and then, and the crowd was filled with anticipation. India was on tour, and the second Test was in progress.
England had scored 344 in their first innings, with Jack Russell's determined 124 holding the innings together. Venkatesh Prasad had a fantastic performance, taking five wickets.
India was 25 for 1 when the young debutant Sourav Ganguly stepped out to bat. He was at number three. Making your debut. At the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. The pressure? Absolutely. But what happened next was a story even he couldn't have imagined better.
Alongside a patient, Nayan Mongia, Ganguly settled in. England's seamers tested him with swing and bounce, but the left-hander remained calm. His timing was impeccable, his defence compact. And when the bowlers erred in line, Ganguly seized the opportunity — flicking off his pads or driving through the covers.
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He reached his half-century in 151 balls. But he wasn't finished. Each run chipped away at England's lead and deepened his place in history. Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin fell along the way, but Ganguly kept going. He found his rhythm and soon started to drive more confidently.
Fate had more drama lined up. Another debutant walked in — Rahul Dravid. The two put on 94 runs for the sixth wicket, batting with maturity well beyond their years. Dravid, unfortunately, fell five short of a century. But his calm presence allowed Ganguly to hold the innings together.
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Eventually, Ganguly reached the milestone — a Test hundred at Lord's, on debut, with 20 boundaries to his name. He had batted 301 balls. Alan Mullally got him in the end, but the job was done by then.
India posted 429. A solid 85-run lead. Ganguly had delivered the knockout blow.
In their second innings, England batted cautiously and finished on 278 for 9 declared. The match ended in a draw, but the gains were immense for India. Ganguly and Dravid — two pillars of the future — had stood tall on their very first outing.
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Ganguly scored 131 in his maiden innings. He bowled well and even took a wicket. It was a dream debut at the home of cricket.
That knock at Lord's was no fleeting moment. Ganguly went on to score over 18,000 runs in international cricket, captain India to historic overseas victories, and assemble a team that refused to back down. He also guided India to the 2003 ODI World Cup final and led the side to a renowned Test series win in PAK.
But before all that, there was that hundred at Lord's. The day he announced himself — not with a whisper, but with the sound of the ball beautifully kissing the middle of the bat.
