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Pathan equals Indian record

December 11, 2004 13:18 IST

- Rahul Dravid achieved the distinction of playing most consecutive Test matches without a break since making his debut. This Test was his 85th in a row (since his debut against England at Lord's in 1996) and he bettered fellow teammate Sachin Tendulkar's record of 84 consecutive Tests.

- Anil Kumble became the highest wicket-taker for India by trapping Mohammad Rafique leg before wicket. He surpassed Kapil Dev's tally of 434 wickets. Interestingly, Kumble played only 91 Tests as compared to Kapil's 131 to overhaul his record.

- Irfan Pathan (5-45) recorded his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. His previous best was 4 for 100 against Pakistan at Multan in 2003-04.

- Pathan's figures are also the best by an Indian bowler against Bangladesh bettering Sunil Joshi's figures of 5 for 142 at Dhaka in November 2000.

- At 20 years 44 days, Pathan became the third youngest Indian pacer to claim a five-wickets in an innings haul in Test cricket. Only Chetan Sharma (19 years 247 days) and Ramakant Desai (19 years 364 days) have taken a five-wicket haul for India at a younger age.

- Pathan also became the fourth Indian bowler to claim five wickets in an innings at Dhaka after Subhash Gupte (5-18 v Pakistan in 1954-55), Ghulam Ahmed (5-109 v Pakistan in 1954-55) and Sunil Joshi (5-142 v Bangladesh in 2000-01.

- Pathan, by getting four batsmen leg before wicket, equalled the existing Indian record of dismissing most batsmen in an innings in this fashion. Kapil, Kumble and Narendra Hirwani are the others to do so for India. Kumble, in fact, performed this feat twice. Pathan, however, is the only one to do so on foreign soil.

- The eighth wicket partnership of 65 runs between Mohammad Ashraful and Mohammad Rafique is Bangladesh's second highest for this wicket against all countries after the 87-run partnership between this same pair against West Indies at Gros Islet in 2004. Incidentally, the previous highest eighth wicket partnership for Bangladesh at home soil was a paltry 39 between Mushfiqur Rahman and Mohammad Rafique against New Zealand at Chittagong in October this year.

- The five leg before wicket dismissals in the Bangladeshi innings equalled the record of maximum such dismissals in an innings by India in an overseas Test. The only other such occasion was in the first innings of Georgetown Test against West Indies in 2001-02.

- Incidentally, it was the seventh occasion when Indian bowlers dismissed five opposition batsmen leg before wicket in an innings. The record is of six dismissals against West Indies at Mohali in 1994-95.

Rajneesh Gupta