The Hindu : Srinath, India's most capped player

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 12, 2003

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Sport - World Cup

Srinath, India's most capped player

By Mohandas Menon

** Javagal Srinath has become the most capped player for India in the WC by appearing in his 31st match since his World Cup (WC) debut in 1992. Mohammad Azharuddin had appeared in 30 matches from 1987 to 1999.

** During his knock of 97, Sachin Tendulkar for the second time in his WC career aggregated over 500 runs in a single tournament. He is the only player in WC history to reach this landmark, not just once but twice — he had made 523 runs in the 1996 edition. Tendulkar now has 571 runs in the 2003 edition.

** The partnership of 153 between Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag is the best for India against Sri Lanka for the first wicket in the WC bettering the 60 put on by Sunil Gavaskar and Aunshuman Gaekwad at Manchester in 1979.

** The previous best partnership between the above pair was the 134 which they put on against England at Kanpur on 28-1-2002.

** The opening stand was also the best for any team in this WC. The South African pair of Herschelle Gibbs & Gary Kirsten had put on an unbeaten 142 against Kenya at Potchefstroom on 12-2-2003.

** This was the first 100-plus opening partnership for India in LOIs since 12-11-2002 and after a gap of 18 matches. Sourav Ganguly and Sehwag had put on 196 against West Indies at Rajkot.

** This is the first 100-plus opening partnership for India in the WC since 27-2-1996 and after a gap of 21 WC matches. Ajay Jadeja and Tendulkar had put on 163 against Kenya at Cuttack.

** The last occasion a 100-plus partnership for the first wicket was made against Sri Lanka in the WC was the 120 by Australians Geoff Marsh and Tim Moody at Adelaide in 1992.

** Incidentally, the last time India played at this ground (5-10-2001) Ganguly and Tendulkar had put on 193 against the home team for the first wicket!

** Tendulkar (on 52) became the third batsman after Pakistanis Saeed Anwar (2197 runs) and Inzamam ul Haq (2139) to aggregate 2000 runs against Sri Lanka. He now has 2045 runs (avg. 48.69) in 51 matches.

** Tendulkar (97) has now been dismissed in the nineties on 8 occasions; only Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva has more scores (nine) in the nineties in LOI history. This was Tendulkar's third such score in the nineties in the WC — the most by any batsman in WC history.

** Chamida Vaas (18 wickets in 8 matches) has became the leading wicket-taker in this WC. He now also has the maximum wickets by a Sri Lankan bowler in a single WC. In the 1983 WC, pace bowler Ashanta de Mel had taken 17 wickets in 6 matches.

** The two catches by Aravinda de Silva takes his tally to 13 in 33 WC matches. This is the most by a Sri Lankan fielder in the WC. He went past the tally of Sanath Jayasuriya who has 12 catches in 25 matches.

** Srinath's figures of 4-35 are his best bowling performance in the WC against a Test nation. He had taken 4-30 against Holland at Paarl on 12-2-2003.

** These four wickets have also taken his tally of wickets to 42 in 31 WC matches. He now occupies the second position after Pakistani Wasim Akram (55 wkts in 38 matches) among the highest wicket-takers in WC history.

** Sri Lanka's five ducks equals the WC record for most ducks in an innings. England (194) against West Indies at Lord's in the 1979 final and Canada (36) against Sri Lanka at Paarl earlier in this WC also have the same dubious distinction.

** The four catches by Mohammad Kaif is a new WC record for the most catches by a fielder in a match. 16 other fielders have taken three catches in a WC match (with Sehwag being the only one to do it twice).

** Kaif also becomes the only second fielder to take four catches against Sri Lanka in a LOI match after West Indian Phil Simmons at Sharjah on 11-10-1995.

** Kaif now joins Sunil Gavaskar (on 22-3-1985), Mohammad Azharuddin (13-9-1997), Tendulkar (11-1-1998) and Rahul Dravid (14-9-1999) to become the fifth Indian to take four catches in a LOI.

** The 183-run win was India's second biggest in terms of runs in LOIs. India had beaten Kenya by 186 runs at Paarl on 24-10-2001. However this win was India best in a WC match. India had beaten Namibia by 181 runs at Pietermaritzburg on 23-2-2003.

** The six wins in a row in this tournament is India's best run in the WC. In the 1987 edition, India had won five matches in a row from 14-10-1987 to 31-10-1987.

** The man of the match award was Srinath's fifth in 226 matches and his first in the WC. The last occasion Srinath won a MOM award was also against Sri Lanka way back on 3-4-1996 at Singapore. He was then appearing in his 91st LOI match, which means he is winning an award after a gap of 135 matches.

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