When India last played a five-Test series at home? (03 September 2001)
The series in question saw the little master Sunny Gavaskar bid adieu to Test cricket after being one of its prime stars for the best part of sixteen years. But it was not the happiest of farewells for the little master.
Another great, Pakistan captain Imran Khan also announced that the series, which saw the two sub-continental neighbours clash, would be his last. A word from the then Pakistan president General Zia-ul Haq however made him reconsider his decision. The great Khan finally retired after leading Pakistan to triumph in the 1992 World Cup.
The first four Tests of the series were drawn. India celebrated when Gavaskar made 63 in the fourth Test at Ahmedabad and became the first man to go past 10,000 Test runs. The fifth Test that followed at Bangalore however brought gloomy tidings. Even Gavaskar's final hurrah, 96 of the finest runs on a minefield of a pitch in the fourth innings at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, Bangalore, could not save India from their first series defeat to Pakistan on Indian soil. The winning margin then was sixteen runs.
We are indeed talking of the eventful India-Pakistan 1986-87 series.
It was 12 years before Pakistan played India in Tests again. 1998-99 saw the two sides share honours with the two-match series ending 1-1 after Anil Kumble so famously claimed 10-74 in the Pakistani second innings at New Delhi.
For more details on all the above facts check out [ StatsGuru ]
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