In August, England will welcome Virat Kohli's India to Trent Bridge for the third Test of a five-match series - and it's not too late to secure your seats. It will renew a rivalry that has seen some thrilling encounters in the city down the years, one of which saw a soon-to-be Nottinghamshire favourite handed his Test debut...
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When Mark Ealham was asked to make his Test debut for England at Trent Bridge, it’s fair to say it came as something of a surprise.
The then Kent all-rounder was asked into the offices at Canterbury by his father and Second XI coach Alan, where he was told to pack his bags for Nottingham.
“I didn’t believe him at first – I thought he was messing about, recalls Ealham. “I’d been in decent nick for Kent and been in the England one-day side, but wasn’t especially expecting to get in the Test team.
“Ronnie Irani had been the latest all-rounder to be given a go as the selectors seemed determined to find England’s next Ian Botham and he’d done OK, without excelling, in the first two Tests of the series.
“But at that point in the mid-90s, the selectors tended to chop and change quite a bit. I only found out a couple of days before and only had one day’s training before the Test started.
“Looking at it now, it was a big scalp to get (Sachin Tendulkar) as your first Test wicket.”
“It felt a bit awkward because you could see them go over on the day of the match and tell Ronnie he wasn’t playing before they came over and confirmed I was. I don’t think it happens that way now, but I felt really sorry for him.
“I suppose it was good that I didn’t have long to think about it because it meant that I couldn’t get too nervous. It was a proud moment when I looked down to see the Three Lions on the shirt and it was great that my mum and dad were there to see it.”
Things did not start off particularly well for the hosts, though, as Indian piled up 521 as Sachin Tendulkar scored 177 and Sourav Ganguly hit 136.
But in ending The Little Master’s stay at the crease, Ealham secured a maiden Test wicket that he will never forget.
He says: “Looking at it now, it was a big scalp to get as your first Test wicket. He went to pull a short ball but didn’t get hold of it and my Kent colleague Min Patel took a catch at mid on.
“I also ended up getting four wickets in the second innings after we’d replied by going past their score, and I remember a funny incident involving our captain, Michael Atherton.
“There was only about half an hour to go on the lasy day before we were going to shake hands on a draw and they were six or seven down. I’d just got three wickets and he came up and said to make sure I didn’t get any more as he didn’t want us to bowl them out and him to have to go out to bat again for just a few overs.
“I did what I was told and so I tried to avoid the wickets by bowling a half volley on leg stump. The only problem was that the India batsman clipped it straight to a fielder at square leg!”
That 4-21 preceded figures of 2-90 in India’s first innings and a knock of 51 in England’s 564 all out, in which Atherton made 160 and Nasser Hussain 107 before retiring hurt.
Although delighted to score a half-century on debut, Ealham was annoyed with himself for not going on to an even bigger score on a wicket good for batting.
“I at least felt with the wickets and runs I’d got that I made a decent impression.”
“I had got myself in and I had been in decent form all summer, so I fancied my chances of getting a century, but I chased a bit of a wide one from Javagal Srinath that got stuck in the footholds,” he remembers.
“The ball looped up and I was caught at backward of point. As I trudged off, I felt I had massively missed out, especially when I saw those below me come in and get among the runs as well.”
“I at least felt with the wickets and runs I’d got that I made a decent impression when I was under pressure, but you never know what’s around the corner. I got injured in the Test series against Pakistan at Lord’s that followed, and then missed the winter tour.”
Ealham, who played eight Tests for his country and 64 times in one-day internationals, moved to Trent Bridge in 2004 and enjoyed six seasons with the Club before retiring in 2009.
He then took up a role as Cricket Professional at King’s School, Canterbury, where he remains in post while also working for the county Club as a part-time bowling coach.
“It’s gone so quickly since I retired at Notts, but I still very much enjoy being involved in the game at first-class and grass roots levels,” he says.
“I still see some of the Notts lads from time to time and I managed to get back up for Chris Read’s retirement bash. It was great to see people like Jason Gallian and Darren Bicknell and was just like old times and like I’d never been away.”
With India rated the world’s number one Test team and England a force to be reckoned with on home turf, Ealham is looking forward to watching next summer's Tests series, with the fixture at Trent Bridge taking place between 18 and 22 August.
He expects an ‘awesome’ atmosphere on a ground that remains one of his favourites in the country.
Ealham adds: “People often ask me whether I like Canterbury and Trent Bridge more, and I would probably jut go for Trent Bridge because I ended my career there, scored my first century there and made my Test debut there.
“Trent Bridge has a very different atmosphere to a lot of grounds, where people get behind you and know their cricket.”
“It’s got a very different atmosphere to a lot of grounds, a really nice one where people get behind you and know their cricket, but they are are respectful at the same time.
“It’s going to be a very interesting series, and a hard one to call. A lot depends how well the Indians play the swinging ball, and it usually swings quite a bit at Trent Bridge.
“If it’s a hot summer, then it will give India a bit of an advantage, but if it is overcast and there is a bit of green in the wicket, then England will fancy their chances.”
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To buy tickets for the latest installment of exciting England versus India Test match battles at Trent Bridge, which takes place between August 18 and 22 next summer, click here.