On this day: Sachin Tendulkar-Rahul Dravid put on a record 331-run stand
Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are two names that are mentioned with the utmost respect in the history of world cricket. The two Indian greats have made their unmatchable contribution to the field of cricket, and they stand out for their unique qualities. While Tendulkar has the best records in the batting domain on his name, Dravid’s wall-like presence has often helped India gain an ascension. When both stood firm on the crease, the bowlers struggled most of the time.
One of those instances is their record from 1999 in an ODI against New Zealand. Dravid and Tendulkar established a 300-plus stand and broke the back of Kiwi bowlers. There are only five partnerships of more than 300 runs in ODI cricket, and this one by Tendulkar and Dravid stands at the third position. Talking about the same, Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels’ 372-run stand in the 2015 WC against Zimbabwe tops this chart.
It was only in the 1999 World Cup where Sourav Ganguly and Dravid established a 318-run partnership before Dravid-Tendulkar decided to break it. During the 2nd ODI between India and New Zealand in 1999 at Hyderabad, India crushed the visitors by 174 runs. And the thumping win came on the back of heroics of two greats, namely Tendulkar and Dravid. Sourav Ganguly left the pitch too early but what followed next was no less than magic for the Indian side and no less than a nightmare for New Zealand.
Sachin Tendulkar was named the player of the match
The first wicket came for Kiwis in the 2nd over, and the next one took an eternity as Dravid and Tendulkar built a magnificent stand of 331 runs to stun everyone. While Dravid amassed 153 runs in his account, Tendulkar made fans extremely delighted by playing an unbeaten knock of 186 runs. India posted a huge 376 on the board, and almost 90% of runs were fetched in by these two splendid batsmen.
While chasing the target, the guests were bundled out for just 202 runs under pressure as India won by a huge margin. Sachin Tendulkar was named as the player of the match for his sensational knock and partnership with Dravid.
