The Gift of GaB

My rants, writings, outpourings, musings and whatever else can be penned/typed down!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Still the second best!

So, the much touted game on day 5 came to an end without any of the blitz that we were expecting to happen. Inzy must be heaving a sigh of relief for having seen the back of Sehwag walking back to the pavilion after getting out on 254 off a ball bowled by Naved Ul Hasan. He was ruing for having been made to bring his team out on to the field and just because India wanted to have a go at the 1st wicket partnership record. And if India had done that, he would felt so bad of having had to drag his boys to field.

The way Sehwag faced the last few balls before getting out was proof enough of the hurry that India were in. Just so that they make the record before the play gets stalled. He was edging to all places beyond slip... before finally getting out off a catch by the Paki wicket keeper, Kamran Akmal. But then this is Sehwag. He is raw and brute. He does not bother about records. He would have been happy if he got that boundary through the slips. But he did not. And that was sad.

For all the records that were broken and all the pyrotechnics that were on display... it is still only second best! Take a look at how the scoreboard looks (from rediff.com)...



For the record (quite literally!), a snapshot of records that Sehwag achieved...

Some highests!
- Sehwag has the highest test score with a strike rate more than 100.
- Most consecutive 150's by scoring them in his last 7 test centuries - beating none other than Don Bradman.
- The fastest century by Indian Opener.

Some second highests!!
- Sehwag + Dravid partnership of 410 runs was the "second" highest for the 1st wicket.
- Probably, this is Sehwag's "second" highest test score. {Have to check this one!}
- Ofcourse, the "second" fastest individual 200 in test history

Some third highests!!!
- Sehwag with 48 boundaries (47x4, 1x6) hit the "third" highest number of boundaries in an innings.

Any other records or corrections, please let me know.

For more info on records set on day 5, check here.

Mankad and Roy, from up above in the lofty heavens, must be smiling to themselves and Pankaj would be telling Vinu : "Hah! There goes the wicket. I told you, Vinu! It is not quite that easy. Well, who knows? We might have to wait for 50 more years to see if anything comes close by!"

(With due respects to Mankad and Roy)



2 Comments:

Blogger Maverick said...

Despite scoring a mammoth 410 for 1, the record of achieving the highest total for the loss of one wicket still does not belong to India. This is the second best score in such a scenario after South Africa's 442 for 1 against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1998-99.

Had no play taken place on the fifth and final day, India would have comfortably beaten the record held by West Indies for the highest total without losing a wicket. West Indies had made 250 for no loss against Australia in their second innings of Georgetown Test in 1983-84.

Wed Jan 18, 05:44:00 PM GMT+5:30  
Blogger Rubic_Cube said...

mav...
u da man! u really know ur numbers.. dont u? ;-)

Wed Jan 18, 09:18:00 PM GMT+5:30  

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