Another feat by Tendulkar-Ganguly

By Mohandas Menon

** During their first wicket partnership of 44 runs, the Indian pair of Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar became the second openers in LOI history after the West Indian pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes to aggregate 5,000 runs while opening the innings.

The Indian pair first opened together against South Africa at Jaipur on 23-10-1996 during the Titan Cup match, when they added 126 runs. Since then the pair has opened the Indian batting on 106 occasions while aggregating 5030 runs (avg. 48.37) with 14 hundred-plus partnerships and 24 other fifty partnerships.

The Indian pair now needs only 121 runs to surpass the record aggregate of 5,150 runs (avg. 52.55) in 102 innings by the West Indian pair.

** Saurav Ganguly's first six on the match was the 100th of his career in 176 matches and 171 innings. He becomes the seventh batsman in LOI history to register 100 or more sixes during their career. The full list is: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) 144 sixes; Tendulkar (India) 124; Viv Richards (West Indies) 121; Wasim Akram (Pakistan) 110; Inzamamul Haq (Pakistan) 100; Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) 100, and now Ganguly (101).

** Rahul Dravid during his innings of 54, became the fifth Indian, after Tendulkar (10,600 runs), Azharuddin (9,378), Ganguly (6,868) and Ajay Jadeja (5,359) and the 31st batsman in LOI history to reach the milestone of 5,000 runs. Dravid now has 5,030 runs in 158 matches and 148 innings.

** Playing in his 30th match, Harbhajan Singh won his maiden Man of the Match award of his career. His figures of 3-27 was his career best bettering the previous best of 3-29 against Sri Lanka at Colombo (RP) earlier this year on 22-7-2001.

** Shaun Pollock's 5-37 was the best bowling figures ever recorded at this ground obliterating the previous best of 4- 37 by fellow South African Allan Donald against Zimbabwe on 25-1- 1997.

** Pollock figures were also the best by a South African captain in LOIs, which betters the 4-33 by Hansie Cronje against Zimbabwe at Harare on 22-10-1995.

** When Pollock claimed his last wicket of the innings he emulated Donald (226 wickets in 136 matches) to become the second South African and the 16th bowler in LOI history to take 200 or more wickets. Pollock was appearing in his 138th match.

** Mark Boucher during his innings of 38, became the 12th South African and the 151st batsman in LOIs to go past the aggregate of 1,000 runs. Incidentally he also becomes the 14th keeper-batsman to do so.

** The eighth-wicket partnership of 77 runs between Lance Klusener and Mark Boucher was the best for this wicket at this venue bettering by a long way the 33 runs partnership between Sri Lankans Aravinda de Silva and Pramodaya Wickremasinghe against Pakistan on 4-12-1994.

** India recorded its only third win over the home team in 14 matches. Its only other two wins came way back in 1992 - at Centurion and at East London.

** South Africa's loss was its only second in the last 12 matches. It was also its first loss in the last six matches.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Kenyans find the going tough
Next     : Full marks to Harbhajan