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Test-bests for Hoggie and Fred
Wisden CricInfo staff - December 19, 2001
Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard both recorded their best Test bowling figures. Flintoff took 4 for 50, surpassing the 2 for 31 he took against South Africa in the second Test at Port Elizabeth in 1999-2000, while Hoggard took 4 for 80. His previous-best figures were 3 for 79, in the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford in June. Flintoff is playing in his 12th Test and Hoggard his fifth.
When he reached 83, Sachin Tendulkar became the fifth man to reach 1000 Test runs in 2001. The others are: Matthew Hayden (1250), Brian Lara (1152), Herschelle Gibbs (1089) and Mahela Jayawardene (1035).
Seven runs later, Tendulkar was stumped for the first time in his 89-Test career. It was the fourth time he had been dismissed in the 90s, and the second time at Bangalore – he made 96 against Sri Lanka in 1993-94. It was also the first stumping of James Foster's Test career, though he did make four stumpings in five ODIs in Zimbabwe, including two on his debut.
In his 66th match, Anil Kumble became the 18th bowler and the first Indian spinner to reach 300 Test wickets when he dismissed Matthew Hoggard. In 34 Tests in India he has taken 194 wickets at an average of 21.56, as opposed to 106 in 32 matches at 39.90 away. Kumble is only second Indian to take 300 Test wickets; the first was Kapil Dev. (The 18 who have taken 300 wickets)
The last man to reach the milestone was Muttiah Muralitharan against South Africa at Durban in December 2000. Kumble, Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Lance Gibbs are the only spinners to reach 300. The next man to 300 wickets looks likely to be Shaun Pollock, who has 254 to his name so far, from 61 matches at an average of 20.46.
Kumble is the third person to reach the milestone on his home ground. Curtly Ambrose took his 300th wicket in Antigua when he dismissed Sri Lanka's Sajeewa de Silva in the first Test in 1996-97, and Allan Donald did likewise when he trapped New Zealand's Shayne O'Connor lbw in the first Test at Bloemfontein in 2000-01.
Of Kumble's 300 Test victims, he has four bunnies: Hansie Cronje, Aravinda de Silva, Andrew Hudson and Roshan Mahanama have all fallen to him seven times. He has taken more wickets against South Africa than any other country - 56 in 14 matches.
Michael Vaughan became the seventh batsman and the second Englishman to be out handled the ball in a Test match, as well as the second man in India this year, after Steve Waugh, who was also given out by umpire Arani Jayaprakash. The first Englishman was Graham Gooch, in the first Test against Australia at Old Trafford in 1993.
The full list is:
Russell Endean (South Africa v England , Cape Town, 1956-57)
Andrew Hilditch (Australia v Pakistan, Perth, 1978-79)
Mohsin Khan (Pakistan v Australia, Karachi, 1982-83)
Des Haynes (West Indies v India, Bombay, 1983-84)
Graham Gooch (England v Australia, Old Trafford, 1993)
Steve Waugh (Australia v India, Chennai, 2000-01)
Michael Vaughan (England v India, Bangalore, 2001-02)
Vaughan was given out under Law 33.1, which reads:
Either batsman is out Handled the ball if he wilfully touches the ball while in play with a hand or hands not holding the bat unless he does so with the consent of the opposing side.
Though Flintoff returned a Test-best with the ball, his batting woes continue. His scores in his series are: 18, 4, 0, 4 and 0. His last four innings have brought just eight runs from 13 deliveries.
In Test cricket's rich 125-year, 1578-match history, this is believed to be the first match to begin under floodlights. Floodlights were first used in Test cricket late on the first day of the Perth Test between Australia and New Zealand in 1997-98. As in the second Test at Ahmedabad, early-morning dew caused the start of this Test to be delayed by half-an-hour.
Sourav Ganguly opened the bowling for the sixth time in Test cricket, spread over four matches. It is the second time he has taken the new ball at Bangalore - he bowled two overs against Australia in 1997-98 - and before this game, his overall record in the role read 10-3-46-1. He last opened at Chennai in March 2001, in the series decider against Australia.
The hundred partnership for the fourth-wicket between Michael Vaughan and Mark Ramprakash is England's highest for any wicket in Tests at Bangalore. The previous-highest was 88, by Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch for the first wicket in 1981-82. The highest fourth-wicket partnership before today was a mere 21, added by David Gower and Keith Fletcher in the same match. This is England's third Test at Bangalore.
Vaughan's 64 was his fifth Test fifty, in his 13th match. It is his second overseas half-century - he scored a matchwinning 69 in the controversial one-innings encounter against South Africa at Centurion in 1999-2000, and his highest score in the subcontinent, surpassing his 31 not out in the second Test at Ahmedabad.
Marcus Trescothick's early dismissal (c Laxman b Srinath 8) may prove to be a blessing in disguise for England. In the seven Tests England have won while he has been playing, he has scored just 275 runs at an average of 22.91 (with one fifty). In the seven they have lost however, Trescothick has scored 692 runs at an average of 49.42, with five fifties and two centuries.
Nasser Hussain won his second consecutive toss, and his tenth in 27 matches as captain. He has not won back-to-back tosses since winning four in a row against South Africa (2nd Test to 5th) in 1999-2000.
Hussain was dismissed for 43, his fifth score between 43 and 55 in his last nine Test innings. Starting with the fourth Test against Australia at Headingley, Hussain's run of scores reads: 46, 55, 52, 2, 85, 12, 1, 50, 43.
England fielded the same starting line-up for the first time since the second Test at Kandy in March 2001, 12 matches ago. Only four players (Trescothick, Hussain, White and Giles) remain from that side, which beat Sri Lanka by three wickets.
Trescothick is the only man to have appeared in all 27 of England's matches (13 Tests and 14 ODIs) in 2001.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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