Why does it rain so frequently, so incessantly if it is called the summer, and not the rain? Is the English summer not for exploration, and abundance, and revelling on the grass in the warmth of the sun? Is it not the time for sports if the legs are not weary or the joints not jittery? But how would you all these activities if it rains as persistently as it did in Lord’s on Friday?
In England over years, cricket has learnt to coexist peacefully with rain. Some of the most iconic cricket matches in the country have been played despite bursts of rain and drizzles.
The Headingley miracle of 1981, featuring Ian Botham and Bob Willis, lost many overs on Day 1. As did its the redux, featuring Ben Stokes in 2019. Rain intervened when England defeated New Zealand to clinch their maiden World Cup. And it did again, when Devon Conway became the first cricketer to score a double century on Test debut at Lord’s.
But then, such interruption has not happened for the first time. This is a common occurrence here. Maybe like all things it happened for a reason, for us to get extra time to comprehend so many things that happened in the first two days, for us to process the magnanimity of the Conway classic.
In a world where every other youngster breaking into the international scene is billed as a ‘generational talent’, Conway has been a late bloomer. He left South Africa, his native country, at 26, and had to wait for three more years before being eligible to play for his adopted nation.
His double century was a perfect blend of flair and patience. The flair came from years of labouring in silence, while patience is something that life has taught him so well. After all, he has waited 29 years of his life for this opportunity. And when it came to him, he grabbed it with both hands.
He got his hundred on the first day he set foot on Lord’s as a Test cricketer. The next day, he converted it into a double ton. Now, it remains to be seen how he goes from strength to strength in his career.
After two days of the gripping contest, with the Test match evenly poised, Day 3 turned out to be anticlimactic. Rory Burns (59*) was expected to aim for his first Test century since the one he scored against the same opponent in 2019. His duel with Neil Wagner the previous day was one of the highlights of the match.
Burns has seldom looked confident against short-pitched bowling, a chink Pat Cummins had exploited in the 2019 Ashes. Wagner, after five overs of pitching up the ball in search of new-ball movement, switched to his comfort zone. He unleashed a seemingly endless barrage of short-pitched balls with surgical precision, designed solely to induce false shots.
For all the sophistication the format has to offer, Test cricket can sometimes be a simple game. Wagner kept attacking the body; Burns counterattacked with hooks and pulls. Wagner did not avail a Plan B. Burns never curbed his attacking instinct.
England trail by 267 runs. Their first target will be 179, past the follow-on mark. Once there, they are likely to get as close to the New Zealand score as possible, perhaps muscle out a small lead, then go flat out in pursuit of wickets.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will look to accrue a significant lead, pile up more runs, then trigger a collapse in the fourth innings. This England line-up is prone to collapses.
It would have been enthralling to see another day of Burns versus Wagner. Or how Joe Root, unbeaten on 43, constructed his innings. But the non-existential weather god had other plans.
Brief scores
New Zealand 378 (Devon Conway 200; Ollie Robinson 4-75) lead England 111/2 (Rory Burns 59*; Tim Southee 1-17) by 267 runs.