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A low-scoring ground
Wisden CricInfo staff - April 18, 2002
There have been 50 Tests at Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. West Indies have won 17 and lost 13, with 20 drawn, although only one of the last nine hasn't produced a positive result. India have won only two of their 11 Tests here, with six draws and three defeats.
One of those Indian victories came courtesy of the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test. In a famous match in 1975-76, Clive Lloyd declared and ended up with egg on his face as India, thanks to centuries from Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath, cantered to 406 for 4 and a six-wicket victory.
Gavaskar also made the highest score here: 221 in 1970-71. In fact, both the highest score and best bowling figures have come in West Indies-India Tests. In the same 1970-71 series, in which Trinidad hosted two Tests, 34-year-old West Indian offspinner Jack Noriega took 9 for 95, the best bowling figures by a West Indian anywhere. The highest score by a West Indian in Trinidad is Everton Weekes's 207, also against India, in 1952-53.
Before Brian Lara, the Prince of Port-of-Spain was Sunil Gavaskar. In five Tests here he made a staggering 793 runs, the most by an overseas batsman, at the Bradmanesque average of 99.13. This included three centuries in addition to that 221.
Though Gavaskar's work may suggest otherwise, Trinidad is traditionally a low-scoring ground. In the last 11 Tests here, going back to England's visit in 1989-90, only four sides have managed to make over 300 - in 36 completed innings. In that time Zimbabwe have been skittled for 63 - when they were chasing just 99 to win, in 1999-2000 - West Indies for 51, against Australia a year earlier, and England for 46, when Curtly Ambrose pulverised them in 1993-94.
In the last 27 Tests here, going back 29 years, West Indies have only made over 400 in an innings on three occasions. In the same period India have done it four times ... and they've only played five Tests here. No other visiting team has managed to reach 400 even once.
Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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