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A beauty to bat on
Wisden CricInfo staff - February 19, 2002
The Vidarbha Cricket Association ground in Nagpur has hosted six Tests so far. India made an inauspicious start here, losing to New Zealand in 1969-70, after which Nagpur had to wait 14 years to stage a Test again. India have done rather better at this venue since, winning once - against Sri Lanka in December, 1986 - and drawing four matches.
Winning the toss and batting has been the mantra in all Tests at Nagpur. The average innings scores (runs/wickets) in the last five Tests - 464 (1st innings), 440 (2nd), 359 (3rd), 290 (4th) - indicate that the track is a beauty to bat on.
The VCA pitch has been a nightmare for the seamers. In the last five matches, they have managed just 41 wickets for 2151 runs at an extravagant 52.46.
Spinners have fared better, their 72 wickets coming at 36.54 apiece. Indian spinners have accounted 46 of those wickets, at an average of 30.85. Out of the nine five-fors achieved here, spinners have grabbed eight.
Maninder Singh's 7 for 51, which fashioned India's win against Sri Lanka, remains the best bowling analysis in an innings. Sri Lankan paceman Ravindra Pushpakumara's 5 for 122 in a drawn match in November 1997 is the only occasion when a seamer managed a five-for.
India's top-order have all been among the runs at Nagpur. Sachin Tendulkar's scores here read 179, 54, 15 and 201* - 449 runs at 149.67; Rahul Dravid has an average of 127, and Sourav Ganguly 64.5.
Andy Flower will have fond memories of the VCA. In the second Test of the two-match series in November 2000, Flower made 106* and 232* as Zimbabwe, following on 227 behind, made 503 for 6 in the second innings to save the
match. Alistair Campbell notched up his first hundred (102), and Tendulkar his second double-ton in a match which saw six centuries. Expect another run-feast when the two teams take the field on Thursday.
S Rajesh is sub editor, Wisden.com India.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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