da blaze casino： Sunil Gavaskar must, of course, figure prominently in the records list, and he stands regally on top in two majorsections
Partab Ramchand02-May-2002It is always a fascinating exercise to browse through thecomprehensive records section of Wisden. Not long ago, even as Iwas checking up on some facts, Australia were racing to theirfour-wicket victory over South Africa at Cape Town. To score 331runs in the fourth innings of a Test match, whatever the state ofthe wicket, is a commendable feat, and instinctively I looked upthe section on highest successful fourth-innings chases.
Sunil Gavaskar must, of course, figure prominentlyin the records list, and he stands regally on top in two majorsections. He is the only batsman in history to make two separatehundreds in a Test three times; the third time he achieved thefeat was in 1978-79, and it is an achievement that has eludedmany eminent batsmen.
Australia’s score at Newlands was the 10th highest in Test matchhistory, the field being led by India’s run-chase against theWest Indies at Port of Spain in 1976. In 26 years and 825 Tests,no team has come close to breaking this record. India, by scoring406 for four over two memorable days, broke a 28-year-old recordthat Australia set by getting 404 for three against England atLeeds in 1948.As the cliché goes, records are meant to be broken. But somemarks stand the test of time for more extended periods. Forexample, one record has stood since 1894-95 – the fastest fiftyrecorded in Test cricket is still JT Brown’s, who reached themark in 28 minutes for England against Australia at Melbourne.Speaking of major records, Sydney Francis Barnes’ tally of 49wickets for a series has stood since 1913-14. And to think thatBarnes played only four Tests, missing the final game following adispute! And on the batting front, even with the extension ofTest match series from five matches to six, many eminent batsmenhave found Don Bradman’s tally of 974 for Australia againstEngland in 1930 quite unsurpassable.Indian teams and cricketers do figure fairly prominently in therecords section. Besides heading the list for the highest winningfourth-innings total, which I have already recalled, India topsthe list in the highest fourth-innings total to draw a five-daygame 429 for eight against England at the Oval in 1979, chasinga target of 438.I have already touched upon the oldest Test record, Brown’sfastest half-century. But in terms of balls faced, it is KapilDev who heads the list. The legendary Indian all-rounder reachedthe half-century off just 30 balls against Pakistan at Karachi in1982-83. Kapil is also the only cricketer in Test history to havehit four successive sixes in an over. As is well-known, MohammadAzharuddin is the only batsman in history to score hundreds ineach of his first three Test matches. More then 17 years – andsome 600 Tests – have gone by since he notched up the feat, butfew batsmen has come close to duplicating it.Sunil Gavaskar must, of course, figure prominently in the recordslist, and he stands regally on top in two major sections. He isthe only batsman in history to make two separate hundreds in aTest three times; the third time he achieved the feat was in1978-79, and it is an achievement that has eluded many eminentbatsmen. Of course, as is all too well-known, his tally of 34hundreds tops the centuries list, well ahead of the next best -29 – for over 15 years now. Besides, Gavaskar is the only batsmanto cross 1000 runs in a calendar year four times. While on thesubject, Mohinder Amarnath is the earliest to get to that figure May 3 during his golden year of 1983.There are many more sections in which Indian players sharerecords or are one among a select few who have accomplished acertain feat. However, I am touching upon only those records inwhich an Indian stands alone. I cannot of course forget NarendraHirwani’s 16 for 136 against the West Indies at Madras in 1987-88 the best match-figures by any bowler playing in his first Test.But for my money, Indian cricket’s proudest statisticalachievement is still the one that has stood the test of time forover 46 years and nearly 1200 Test matches. The latest Wisden,released as usual in the first week of April, has the followingentry in the section of “Highest partnership for each wicket” First wicket: 413, Vinoo Mankad (231) and Pankaj Roy (173), Indiavs New Zealand, Madras, 1955-56.Sheer longevity is certainly one reason why it remains anoutstanding feat. Also, it is supremely ironical that India,which also has statistically the worst start in the history ofTest cricket to its name losing the first four wickets withouta run scored against England at Leeds in 1952 should also holdthe first-wicket record.Since Mankad and Roy shared the partnership over two sunny daysat the Corporation Stadium on January 6 and 7 1956, a couple ofassociations have come close but fallen short. Australians BillLawry and Bobby Simpson put on 382 runs against the West Indiesat Bridgetown in 1965, and seven years later, Glenn Turner andTerry Jarvis added 387 runs for New Zealand against the WestIndies at Georgetown. But the Mankad-Roy partnership survives tothis day, making it certainly the jewel in Indian cricket’sstatistical crown.