Our Bureau
Port of Spain (T&T)
History was made on Thursday, when India and West Indies took the field for the second Test at Port of Spain, as both are playing their 100th Test against each other.
India and West Indies cricket rivalry has spanned two eras. One, when WI was a formidable force in cricket and India was an underdog. And the other, which saw India rise as a cricketing superpower while WI lost the glory and prestige, they enjoyed in the 80s and 90s. In all, they have played 99 Tests. Out of these, India has won 23 Tests, WI has won 30, and India’s win percentage is 23.23 per cent. 46 matches have been drawn.
India has not had a very good record historically against Windies at home. At home, they have played 47 Tests against them, won 13, lost 14 and 20 have ended in a draw. India’s win percentage is 27.65 per cent. WI has dominated India in its home settings of the Caribbean. In 52 Tests played, India has won 10, WI has won 16 and 26 have ended in a draw. India’s win percentage is 19.23 in WI.
But in the 21st century, records have tilted mainly in favour of a much-improved Indian side.
In the 21st century, both countries have played 29 matches. Out of these, India has won 16, WI has won only 2 and 11 have ended in a draw. The win percentage of India is 55.17 per cent.
In 10 Tests played at home, India has won eight and two have ended in a draw. The win percentage is 80 per cent for India. India has also improved its record in the Caribbean. In 19 Tests played in WI, India has won eight, lost two and nine have ended in a draw. India’s win percentage stands at an improved 42.19 per cent.
The highest run-scorer from India is Sunil Gavaskar. He has scored 2749 runs in 27 Tests at 65.45 average, 13 centuries and 7 fifties. After him is Rahul Dravid who scored 1978 runs in 23 Tests at 63.80 average, five centuries and 13 fifties. VVS Laxman also has a great record against West Indies as he scored 1715 runs in 22 Tests at 57.16 average, four centuries and 11 fifties.
Among the current players of India, the highest run-scorer is Virat Kohli who has scored 898 runs in 15 Tests at an average of 44.90, two centuries and six fifties.
For West Indies, the highest run-scorer is Clive Llyod who scored 2344 runs in 28 Tests at 58.60 average, seven centuries and 12 fifties against India. Shivnarine Chanderpaul amassed 2171 runs in 25 Tests at 63.85 average, seven fifties and ten centuries. Legendary, Viv Richards made 1978 runs in 23 Tests at a 50.71 average, eight centuries and seven fifties.
Among the current players, the highest run-scorer is skipper Kraigg Braithwaite who scored 475 runs in 12 Tests at a 21.59 average, four fifties.
The highest wicket-taker for team India is Kapil Dev who has 89 scalps in 25 Tests. After him is spin bowler Anil Kumble who has 74 wickets in 17 Tests and then there is Ravichandran Ashwin who has 72 in 12 Tests.
For West Indies, the highest wicket-taker against India is Malcolm Marshall who took 76 wickets in 17 matches. After him is Andy Roberts who has 67 scalps in 14 matches and WW Hall who took 65 wickets in 13 matches.
Among the current players, the highest wicket-taker for Windies is Jason Holder: 14 in eight matches.
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday surpassed compatriot MS Dhoni to become India’s fifth-highest run-scorer in international cricket.
The Indian skipper accomplished this feat during India’s second Test against West Indies at Port of Spain. In the match, the ‘Hitman’ was at his vintage best. He scored a commendable 80 runs in 143 balls, consisting of nine fours and two sixes.
Now in 443 appearances, Rohit has scored 17,298 runs at an average of 42.92. He has scored a total of 44 centuries and 92 fifties in 463 innings, with the best score of 264.
Rohit is behind legends like Sourav Ganguly (18,433 runs in 421 matches), Rahul Dravid (24,064 runs in 504 matches), Virat Kohli (25,484 runs in 500 matches) and Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs in 664 matches) as India’s all-time run-scorers in international cricket. Dhoni, who Rohit has overtaken, has scored 17,092 runs in 535 matches at an average of 44.74. He has scored 15 centuries and 108 fifties, with best score of 224.
