Six years after the spot-fixing scandal that shook the world of cricket, Pakistan team returned to “Home of Cricket.” There was a lot to prove both on and off the field on both individual and collective levels. For months leading to the first game at Lord’s, all kinds of debate had surrounded the return of Muhammad Amir. Controversies had marred Pakistan’s previous two visits to the founders of the game, the United Kingdom. Came 14th July, and everyone was glued to their screens to watch Amir bowl at the arena where his career almost ended six years ago. For the next four days, both teams battled head to head, with no single team comprehensively claiming a session. The match hung in balance till the very last hour of the game. Then, one wicket brought what Pakistan were looking for hours, as Shah and Amir sprinted in jubilation, ripping apart English defences. Although Amir didn’t enjoy a fairy-tale comeback at the Mecca of cricket, the last wicket was more than just a wicket. It was redemption. The spot-fixing scandal of 2010 was arguably one of the worst events in the cricketing history of Pakistan. Deprived of cricket at home, most of the players had never enjoyed the advantage of the home crowd. Following the debacle on English soil, Misbah-ul-Haq was entrusted the reins of Pakistani team. And six years later, Pakistan returned a different side, proving themselves to be a dominant force in the world of cricket. For six years, Misbah led the team through rough and tough, defying his age and critics, becoming the most successful captain in nation’s rich cricketing history. There is hardly any personality in the history of Pakistani cricket that matches the stature of Misbah. For the first time in recent history, the whole team gelled together. The persistence of sticking with his troops with well-defined roles throughout his tenure, Misbah has been able to find a bunch that knows how to catch their prey in the group. Be it the strong middle-order while batting, or the consistency of line and length while bowling, the team has come a long way, and now stands a strong chance of gaining number one spot in the Test rankings if they beat the Englishmen in their backyard. Amid all the expectations from Wahab Riaz and Amir in the lead up to the game, it was Yasir Shah who proved that he is no “Asian tracks bully” when he produced magic to dismiss Gary Ballance, reminding every one of Shane Warne’s delivery a decade ago. Lord’s test was more than a game for every player on the ground to the spectators witnessing the history in the stands to the fans glued to their screens around the world, waiting to see the moment of redemption. They were not disappointed. Amid all the debate and expectations from Amir, fans witnessed one of the best battles in recent times between evenly matched teams. Heroics of one team were equally matched by the others. It all went down to the last hour of the fourth day with fans from both camps biting their finger nails till then. Then came the moment when Shah produced some splendid bowling, and Pakistan went on to win the match. From the heroics of Misbah to the consistency of Shafiq; from the magic of Shah to the persistence of Rahat; from the nuance aggression of Riaz to the last wicket of Amir; from the first day to the press-up celebrations at the end, the game offered much more than just entertainment. The stain of the cricketing history of Pakistan might not be removed for a long time, but the honour and integrity with which they fought in the game might just be enough to make amends for the mistakes of the past.*