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India's lucky venue
Wisden CricInfo staff - April 25, 2002
India's 37-run win against West Indies in the second Test at Port-of-Spain ensured that their win percentage overseas touched double figures. In 165 earlier Tests abroad, India had won just 16 (9.69%); with this win, the figure crept up to 10.2%. Overall, it was the 71st time they had won in 353 Tests – a win percentage of 20.1.
India have now won three Tests out of 35 in the West Indies, equalling their winning tally in Australia and England. Only in New Zealand have they won more - four out of 16, for a win percentage of 25.
Since their tour of England in 1986, when Kapil Dev led India to a 2-0 win in the three-Test series, India have played 58 Tests overseas, winning just five (including the Port-of-Spain triumph). Three of those came in the subcontinent, against Sri Lanka in 1993-94 and in 2001, and against Bangladesh in 2000-01. Their only other win was in Zimbabwe last year.
In all the above victories, except the one against Sri Lanka in 1993-94, Sourav Ganguly was the captain. He has now led India to four overseas wins, the most in the history of Indian cricket. MAK Pataudi and Bishan Bedi held the earlier record of three overseas wins each.
Port-of-Spain has been a happy hunting ground for India – both their earlier wins in the Caribbean had come here. In 1971, they won by seven wickets, and then they famously chased a fourth-innings target of 403 in 1976. This is the only overseas venue where India have won three Tests. They have registered two wins at Melbourne and Auckland.
This win also broke a three-match winless run for India at Port-of-Spain. After their win in 1975-76, they drew in 1982-83 and in 1996-97, and lost by a whopping 217 runs in 1988-89.
India's batsmen have historically enjoyed batting at the Queen's Park Oval – the lack of pace and low bounce make the pitch similar to the ones in India. Sunil Gavaskar was the undoubted Prince of Port-of-Spain, making 793 runs in five Tests at a Bradmanesque 99.13. Sachin Tendulkar had his average up there too before his second-innings duck. He'd scored 88 and 117 in two innings for an average of 102.5; the duck brought it down to 68.33. The Indian batsmen have now scored two double-centuries, 15 centuries and 27 fifties in 12 Tests here.
S Rajesh is sub editor of Wisden.com India.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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