LONDON, July 26, (Agencies): England captain Andrew Strauss and star batsman Kevin Pietersen praised the atmosphere at a sold-out Lord’s on Monday, describing the support from the crowd as instrumental in the team’s 196-run win over India in the first test.
Despite a vocal minority of the 28,000-strong crowd supporting India, England captured five wickets in the final session of the match to take a 1-0 lead in the four-test series.
“I think it was a great atmosphere,” Strauss said. “You always expect India to get support here; we got good support here and it was fantastic. You always want to play in front of full houses. Every run you score and every wicket you take is appreciated.”
Pietersen, who won the man-of-the-match award after his first-innings score of 202 not out, was similarly impressed.

“It’s obviously going to be a huge series,” he said. “To see so many people here on a Monday was magnificent. The boys were commenting on it on the way in. We had a full house in here today and hopefully we’ll get a full house at Trent Bridge.”
Asked how the atmosphere compared to playing in an Ashes series, Pietersen was unequivocal. “It’s totally different to playing Australia,” he said. “In terms of the cricket we’re playing, it’s totally different.”
Fans began queuing at 2 a.m. for the 20,000 tickets available for the fifth day, yet the ground was still only around half full when play began nine hours later, with thousands still locked outside after being given contradictory information.
Transport For London officials advised passengers without match tickets not to alight at St John’s Wood, the nearest tube station, saying the game was sold out. But those who did were told they were merely “highly unlikely” to get in if they joined the back of the queue.
Logistical issues meant some stands were opened only after India resumed the day on 80-1, although they were filling rapidly by the time the first wicket went down.
And the select few who kept the faith were allowed in after lunch to fill the seats left vacant by MCC members and others.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended his players’ performance, claiming they were only undone fatigue due to Zaheer Kahn’s inability to bowl because of a hamstring injury.
“I thought Praveen (Kumar) bowled really well in the first innings and Ishant (Sharma) bowled really well in the second,” Dhoni said. “It didn’t turn and our fast bowlers bowled close to 60 overs each, which is a big task. So I’m quite happy with the bowling.”

Experienced batsmen Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman were dismissed after playing needless attacking shots, while the tailenders batted as if they were playing limited-overs cricket, as epitomized by Harbhajan Singh’s wild slog at James Anderson.
“People can say it was a rash shot,” Dhoni said. “But the situation in the middle is that we each have our game-plan and say, ‘OK, that’s the way I’m going to play.’”
Meanwhile, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said illness played a key role in Sachin Tendulkar’s poor returns during the first Test against England here at Lord’s.
Tendulkar was kept waiting for an unprecedented 100th international hundred after being dismissed for 34 and 12 as England won what was the 2,000th Test of all-time by 196 runs on Monday to go 1-0 up in the four-match series.
‘The Little Master’, whose 51 Test centuries and 48 in one-day internationals are both world records, was rested from India’s recent tour of the West Indies.
Tendulkar, who owns a property near Lord’s, had spent much of the past month practising at the ‘home of cricket’.

But during the course of the first Test he was struck down by a viral infection which forced him to spend most of Sunday’s fourth day off the field and that meant he had to bat out of position in India’s second innings.
“He was much better (Monday) but I wouldn’t say he was like 100 percent fit,” Dhoni said. “But in both innings he really felt it, especially after the first innings when he felt quite weak.
“That was one of the main reasons he didn’t turn up on the field in the first half of the second innings. He’s much better right now but of course not 100 percent.”
Tendulkar struck several impressive boundaries during his first innings before edging a good length ball from Stuart Broad to second slip Graeme Swann.
But the 38-year-old’s second innings was a far more muted affair, featuring just one four in 85 minutes at the crease.
Tendulkar spent 38 balls on 11 and was then dropped by England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip off James Anderson on 12.
But, two balls later, Anderson nipped one back to have Tendulkar lbw.
“You never want to drop Sachin, put it that way,” said Strauss.
“Thankfully Jimmy Anderson spared my blushes.”