Indian followers will all the time bear in mind June 20 because it produced three gems that left an enormous mark in cricket historical past. Former captains Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly began their Test cricket journey on this day in 1996 whereas Virat Kohli entered the red-ball cricket on this day in 2011.
The trio shall be remembered in Indian followers’ recollections endlessly as they scorched 28979 runs mixed in Test cricket alone with Kohli nonetheless enjoying. All three batters performed over 100 Tests every and went on to captain the nationwide groups throughout codecs. So on the event of this auspicious day for Indian cricket, let’s spotlight the trio’s Test debut.
Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, each aged 23, made their Test debut in the course of the second Test match at London’s iconic cricket stadium Lord’s. Surprisingly, Ganguly batted within the no.3 place whereas Dravid walked in to bat at no.7, positions they reversed sooner or later. Both made an immediate influence on their debuts with Ganguly smashing 131 off 301 and Dravid exhibiting his red-ball cricket abilities with 95 off 267.
Ganguly and Dravid continued their fast rise with one other stellar efficiency within the following Test at Nottingham. Ganguly scored a century once more and likewise took six wickets to showcase his all-round abilities. Dravid displayed one other basic knock by smashing an important fifty to cement a spot in India’s Test squad.
Dravid’s influence in Test cricket stays unparalleled with 13288 runs in 164 Test matches at a mean of 52.31. He recorded 36 lots of and 63 fifties and with 210 catches, holds the world report for many catches in Test cricket. Ganguly scored 7212 runs in 113 Tests at a mean of 42.17 with 16 centuries. Ganguly’s most important contribution got here in white-ball cricket with over 11000 runs and together with his management qualities.
Meanwhile, modern-day legend Kohli made his ODI debut in 2008 and received his first Test cap throughout India’s tour of West Indies in June 2011 underneath MS Dhoni‘s captaincy. Unlike Dravid and Ganguly, Kohli was not capable of make an immediate influence on his Test debut as he scored simply 4 runs within the first innings and 15 within the second innings of the primary Test match at Kingston. It was not a begin to bear in mind for Kohli as he struggled to make any influence all through that sequence.
But the right-handed batter shortly tailored to red-ball cricket and has been dominating the format with 8479 runs in 109 Tests at a mean of 48.72 to date. The former all-format skipper has scored 28 Test lots of and total 75 worldwide centuries to go down in historical past books as a cricketing legend.
