The third Test between India and England is currently being played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The match started on 10 July 2025, and it has once again brought focus back to this famous place.
Playing a Test match at the Lord's and winning it is often as holy grail for cricketers across the world. Lord’s is famously called the “Home of Cricket,” but not everyone knows why. There is a real story behind this title, and it dates back more than 200 years.
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Who was Thomas Lord and what did he do?
Lord’s is called so because of a man named Thomas Lord. He was a cricketer himself and also a bowler. Back in the late 1700s, he was part of a cricket club named the White Conduit Club.
They needed a place to play, so they asked him to help. He didn’t just build one ground—he made three different grounds in total from 1787 to 1814. The one that exists now is the third one.
Why is Lord's called the 'Home of Cricket'?
The first ground he made was in 1787, at a place where Dorset Square is now. That is sometimes called the Lord’s Old Ground.
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The second ground, called Middle Ground, was used from 1811 to 1813. But it didn’t last long because it had to shut down due to road work in the area.
After that, in 1814, the third ground was made in St John’s Wood, London. That’s the same Lord’s where cricket is still played today.
Lord's remains the oldest cricket venue in the world at the moment and because of it's iconic stature, it is called the 'Home of Cricket.
What is MCC and why does it matter to Lord’s?
Today, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) owns Lord’s. MCC is very important in the world of cricket because they were the one who made and looked after the Laws of Cricket for many years.
The rules we follow in cricket today were mostly written or maintained by the MCC. Even now, the MCC still works out of Lord’s. This is one more reason why people see Lord’s as the home where cricket grew and was managed.
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When was the first match played at Lord’s?
The first international match at this ground took place in 1884. It was a Test between England and Australia.
From then on, many big moments in cricket have happened here. The ground can now hold over 31,000 people during a match.
Every cricketer wants to do well at Lord’s. If someone scores a hundred runs or takes five wickets in a Test match here, their name goes on the Honour Board inside the dressing room. That’s something most players dream about.