England v India 2014: A historic Triumph presents MS Dhoni's men a rare opportunity

India celebrate the fall of an English wicket

173-4 on the board. A solid 101-run partnership was spoiling a wishful rendition of an away Test win in 3 years.

A wicket out of nowhere just before the lunch interval, and England fold up in the following 12.2 overs and 50 runs. The classic Test cricket pattern gets exhibited in the process: one skewed hour/session changing the complexion of a tightly fought see-saw contest. Some deemed it as historic, others as embarkment for the future, but, for many who have tracked Indian cricket over the last couple of decades, this win easily figures into the bracket of Perth, Trent Bridge, Durban and Johannesburg for India's famous away wins of the current millennium.

As the ecstatic elation receded and the victory feel sunk in, correlation with England's memorable win in Mumbai 20 months ago started surfacing. Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook, Monty Panesar were colligated with Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay and Ishant Sharma as the lead heroes of the respective matches. Some of these names weren't playing international cricket then and a couple of them aren't now, but the magnanimity of the bottom-line achievement is not dissimilar. An inexperienced side getting the better of its opponent through its relatively weaker features is probably equivalent to defeating a strong batting line-up on a rank turner at Wankhede. 3 out of 7 is a much better win ratio for England at Wankhede than 2 out of 17 for India at Lord's, though, which makes India's win slightly more admirable.There has been a pattern to India's success away from home since the turn of the century: an anchored knock from a top order batsman in the 1st innings and a collective penetrative contribution by the bowling led by an impactful spell from one of them. Another key thread that knits all the wins is lively tracks and lack of expectations.

It is such retrospective analysis that underscores the Leeds Test win of 2002. Winning the toss and electing to bat on a greenish track under overcast weather signified India's changing outlook. Yes, India had the arsenal then, but that particular decision and its execution in some ways liberated the team psyche from the mental cage of being defensive on overseas tours. The lack of frequency of attaining an overlap of all such factors emphasizes the value of Test wins in foreign conditions.About a decade ago, two men with flamboyant exteriors carried their respective sides to improbable series wins away from home in a different format. Though the memories associated with those two matches are more to do with flinging t-shirts and unusual celebrations, the Wankhede-Lords sequence wasn't missed. Away wins, coming at iconic venues, recorded when you are not expected to do so makes for a rosy concoction, and the India-England contests have developed such anecdotal rivalry over the last few years; the present series is not an exception. Sparks have ignited a couple of heated exchanges, and neither side is willing to concede momentum. There have been two instances of either side being pushed to the corner; India resisted to survive on both occasions (Day 5, 1st Test and Day 1, 2nd Test), while England managed to do so once (Day 3, 1st Test). The beauty and intricacies of a 5-match series will permit England to not lose confidence after a denting defeat and simultaneously will not allow India to be complacent, as well.

In purely cricketing terms, certain moments have threatened to turn into exciting tense battles, with nervy sessions, but not quite realized. In the past, post every big win, the Indian team generally has failed to sustain momentum, but MS Dhoni’s men will have to dispel that notion this time around if the intentions are to claim a rare series win. The likes of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar had to wait for more than a decade to be a part of a series win away from the sub-continent; the current group must realize the value of the opportunity the Lord's win offers and ensure that it is not wasted alike many previous ones.