Perhaps, that is the reason why there was so much focus on what guard each batsman took during the practice session yesterday. Head coach Ravi Shastri was hell-bent on knowing exactly where each batter stood, and even quizzed a couple of players on their stance. Batting coach Sanjay Bangar spent a couple of minutes with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul, discussing the potential impact of the slope. The former all-rounder could be seen gesturing the angle with his hands and using it to flick the ball to the on-side.

Taylor, in his video, mentioned how he would shift his guard towards the off-side so that he could cover the ball moving downhill and use the movement to his advantage. Conversely, while batting from the Nursery End, he would make an effort to plant his front foot more down the wicket rather than across it.

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Former England captain, Mike Gatting, who played for Middlesex for decades, was asked about the challenge the slope presented to batsmen, to which he stated: "The less you think about it, the better it is." Ricky Ponting, who was also present at Lord's for the MCC meeting yesterday, said: "You can feel it [slope] under your feet, but it was always best to ignore it rather than focus on it."

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