Timeline: From Lord's to Lord's, Andrew Strauss does the full circle

Andrew Strauss is now officially the lord of Lord's. Starting and ending a glittering career at the Mecca of cricket, Strauss played and left on his own terms. He might not have done well recently but that does not take away the performances that took him and England right to the top of the cricket world.

Andrew Strauss: The lord of Lord's

1997
Playing for the Middlesex county's second XI, Andrew Strauss gets a call up in the senior XI for a match against Kent at Lord's. Little did he know that the hallowed venue would be a part his life forever after then.

2003
By now the captain of Middlesex, Strauss has been a prolific scorer in the county that season with 1401 runs at 51.88 under his belt. He gets a call to join England's ODI team that'll tour Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Even before making his official debut in international cricket, Strauss is being billed as the future captain material for the country.

But it couldn't have been a worst ODI debut as he scored just three at Dambulla. England was humiliated by 10-wickets after being bundled out for just 88.

2004
West Indies is to tour England in March and Strauss is named as cover for Michael Vaughan. Vaughan recovers from his injury just in time and Strauss doesn't get a chance to come in the Tests, but nonetheless, impresses with a couple of good knocks in the ODIs that follow.

Lord's returns to his life again as Strauss makes his Test debut against New Zealand in May. After missing out in the opener, Strauss is called up to fill in for an injured Michael Vaughan in the second Test. 112 & 83 in two innings on Test debut, and Strauss is the new master of the Lord's. Only Harry Graham, John Hampshire and Sourav Ganguly had done that at the Lord's before him.

Same year in July comes his maiden ODI ton, incidentally again at the Lord's. But this time it doesn't come with a win as Chris Gayle powers West Indies with a brilliant knock.

In this period Strauss goes on to score 948 runs in just under 5 months.

2005
Strauss peaks with every series, and this time he blossoms against South Africa in their backyard. He gathers 656 runs at 72.88 to emerge the highest run-getter of the series.

The big test returns to the English shores. A rampaging Aussie side looking to extend their dominance is met by two brilliant centuries by Strauss at the Old Trafford and The Oval respectively. England reclaims the Ashes urn after a long wait of 18 years.

2006
The big job England captain is handed over to Strauss in the absence of injured Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff. But has a disastrous 5-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan was next to tour England and Strauss was retained as the Test captained too. The action returned to Lord's again where Strauss scores a century and leads England to a win in his debut as the Test skipper.

2007
All good things fizzle out, and so did the purple patch. England crosses over to the oceans to Australia for the Ashes, but Strauss isn't the captain this time. He struggles with the bat while England is routed to a 5-0 humiliation Down Under.

His lack of form runs into the limited over format too as Strauss loses his place from the ODI squad ahead of the World Cup. Though he returns eventually, but has an utterly disappointing tournament with just 46 runs from 4 matches.

Strauss has bad run against West Indies and India too at home and is eventually dropped from the Test side too from the squad that is to tour Sri Lanka.

2008
England travels to New Zealand and Strauss gets a call to join the Test squad. Playing horribly in the first and second Test, that nearly spells the doom for England, Strauss turn around things with a fine 177 at Napier to steer his team to a victory. But, more importantly, giving his career the much needed blood-rush.

2009
Andrew Strauss is surely not amongst the more dramatic personalities that world cricket has seen, but his journey can be termed no less Shakespearean.
Kevin Pietersen is the then captain, but he has some serious issues with the coach, Peter Moores. None can stand the other, and with an impending West Indies tour the matter looks worse. A break-even does happen, and all on the same day - Pietersen step down from captaincy; Moore is sacked; and Strauss is the new captain for England. The hasty announcement, with little surprise, is made at the Lord's. If only had Strauss known that one day he'll decide to step down following a row with the same man from whom he had taken over the mantle.

England has a bad series, but the new captain shines with three centuries in West Indies.

In May, West Indies return to England and Strauss extract a 2-0 revenge.

In July, the Ashes again returns to England. With the previous humiliation in mind, Strauss leads a determined English squad to regain the Ashes. Personally, he contributes with 474 runs in the series.

England tours South Africa and wins the ODI series after a drawn Test series. But Strauss fails to shine with bat.

2010
With the Ashes and World Cup coming up, the skipper opts out of the Bangladesh tour.

2011
Strauss' "proudest moment" by his own admission, England beats Australia to retain the Ashes.

The World Cup in India and Strauss comes up with his finest ODI knock of 158 in a scintillating tie against the hosts. But England doesn't manage to cross the quarter-finals hurdle.

England returns home to hosts the World Cup finalists Sri Lanka and India. Lanka goes down 1-0 as India is humiliated 4-0 by Strauss' team.

2012
The newly crowned No.1 Test team travels to UAE to play Pakistan. A humiliating 3-0 series defeat follows where Strauss himself fails to shine with the bat too.

England manages a 1-1 series draw in Sri Lanka.

Strauss finds form with back-to-back centuries as England drub West Indies 2-0 in Tests.

July. South Africa travels to England to challenge the No.1 spot. England suffers a 2-0 series loss and gives away the spot too. Strauss himself fails to shine scoring just 107 in six innings.
Also, controversy arises after Strauss drops Pietersen from the final Lord's Test following some 'objectionable' SMS-es by the latter.

On August 29, Strauss draws curtains to his 100-Test career and retires from all forms of cricket. The announcement, of course, is made at the Lord's.