India, July 15 -- Walking to the media centre in the morning, I asked Nasser Hussain how he saw the game. India want one hour of Pant and that's one thing England don't want, he said.

Lord's isn't just another Test in a five-match series - it's a venue that brings together cricket, culture and commerce. A game here is a social occasion, a parade of celebrities, a place to see cricket A listers.

On any match day the scene around Lord's is pretty routine - spectators spilling out of the St John's Wood tube station, MCC members clutching food hampers queuing up early to reserve seats, desperate fans looking for last minute ticket deals near the North Stand gate.

Despite the rush and pre-game nervous expectation, order prevails and all see...