How about a draw for a change?

All the remaining Tests will have results predicted Englands 198687 Asheswinning captain Mike Gatting on a visit to Mumbai last week after the opening Test went Australias way at EdgbastonGatting is no astrologer but he has been in the thick of international cricket as a player and observer for 40plus years and witnessed how Test cricket has evolved The ongoing second Test at the Middlesex mans home ground Lords makes for a fascinating battle between two teams that can be equally brilliant and benevolent with the kind of cricket they dish outWhile the English crowds would lap up some entertaining cricket what they might also want to see is more than just a sprinkle of grit and stonewalling In these days of resultoriented Test cricket the draw has become a rarity This year has seen only one drawn Test among 15 games held five in 48 Tests last year and seven out of 47 in 2017Back to Lords The Australians have always enjoyed playing at the spiritual home of cricket and their record there proves it mdash 15 victories as against Englands seven in 36 Tests The last Ashes stalemate witnessed at Lords was in 1997 when Australia were led by Mark Taylor with Mike Atherton being his opposite number The media didnt tire from reminding the hosts that their last win against the old enemy at a Lords Test was way back in 1934Taylor in the previous Test of the 1997 Ashes came out of a big slump with a hundred in Edgbaston But while that was a huge load off his shoulders mdash his first century in 18 months mdash he suffered the agony of seeing Atherton amp Co drawing first blood through a ninewicket win at BirminghamTaylor sent the Englishmen in at Lords after rain ruled out action on Day One Only one and a half hours play was possible on the second day which ended with England gasping at 383 The following day Glenn McGrath 8 for 38 ripped through their batting to have them dismissed for 77 The most cherished ball for him was the one that caused the dismissal of Alec Stewart who left the delivery alone only to see it nip back and disturb the furniturePlayers over the years have been overawed by the atmosphere at Lords resulting in a loss of focus McGrath realised that he had every chance of falling into that trap so he soaked in the atmosphere of the games erstwhile headquarters as much as he could on Test eve and entered the arena on match day with no qualmsI did that he wrote in Line and Strength because once the game started I didnt want to be distracted by the things that make Lords so special Its a great lesson for any young fast bowler and McGrath would do well to relate this incident in his chats to his trainees at the MRF Pace Foundation if he hasnt done so alreadyAmong the keen followers in one of the hallowed viewing galleries was McGraths tobewife Jane who was diagnosed with breast cancer that very year and passed away 11 years later Englishborn Miss Steele couldnt control her excitement as her boyfriend demolished England and had to be told by an attendant to reduce her thrill quotientAnother interesting side story surrounding McGraths heroics was about former Australia swing bowler Bob Massie who McGrath had emulated through his eightwicket haul Massie grabbed eight in each innings on debut to befuddle Ray Illingworths Ashes holders in 1972 at the same venue He arrived to watch Day Three of the Test but was disallowed from entering the very ground that gave him his finest hour since he had carried the wrong days tickets Left with no option the Western Australian returned to his hotel by which time England were bowled outAtherton didnt use Devon Malcolm to partner Darren Gough as he had done at Edgbaston preferring Andy Caddick Opener Matthew Elliott reached his maiden hundred on the Sunday of the traditional Test but was lucky to get there thanks to a few dropped catches and leg before wicket decisions that went his way Taylor declared daringly at 213 for seven but England showed that their batting had a steely ring to it and their victory in the first Test at Edgbaston was no fluke A sunny day notwithstanding England easily avoided an innings defeat scenario Only Stewart 13 fell to first innings wrecker McGrathAtherton lived up to his reputation of being adhesive After spending more than three and a half hours at the crease he tread on his stumps and had to depart for 77 his first century at Lords still evading him His opening partner Mark Butcher succumbed to a big leg break from Shane Warne and was dismissed for 87 No England wicket fell after that as Graham Thorpe 30 and John Crawley 29 ended the Test at 266 for fourMan of the match McGrath didnt rate the 838 as his best performance Instead he called it his most patient show and that word relates so much to Test cricket and hardfought draws Its been a while since 2013 at The Oval that kind of result was seen in an Ashes contest on English soil and if the current Lords game is keenly contested a rare draw wont hurt the series too muchmiddays group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance He tweets ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates