Superstars of Sydney: Top 5 performers for India in Sydney Tests
Sydney cricket ground is known for pitches displaying sub-continent nature but India have not tasted much success at this venue when it comes to Test and ODI formats. Though India have an impressive T20I record against the home team at the SCG, they have managed to win only one Test match thus far. However, Sydney has been host to many spectacular individual performances.
Here are the top five performers for India in Test cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground:
5. Erapalli Prasanna – 55 runs and 12 wickets:
Erapalli Prasanna played a crucial role in India’s lone win in Test cricket at the SCG. He took 3 and 4 wickets respectively during the 1968 Test match at this venue but India ended up losing the Test by 144 runs. Later in 1976, he took four wickets in Australia’s 2nd essay to power India to a victory with a margin of an innings and 2 runs. Earlier with the bat, he scored an unbeaten 25 to help India extend their lead by 50 runs.
4. Anil Kumble – 88 runs and 20 wickets:
Anil Kumble’s maiden Test appearance in the 2000 SCG Test didn’t go well as he went wicketless and conceded 126 runs. Later in 2004, he claimed 8 wickets in the first innings and 4 scalps in the second essay and finished with match figures of 12/279. His final appearance at this venue came during the infamous 2008 Test match where Kumble was captain of the Indian team. Amidst umpiring going against India, the leg-spinner picked four wickets in both innings. Across the three SCG Tests, Kumble took 20 wickets at 32.95 with help of four consecutive 4-wicket hauls.
3. Ravi Shastri – 206 runs and 10 wickets:
Ravi Shastri played two Test matches at the SCG with the first of them coming in 1986 where the 3-match Test series was tied at 0-0 after two Tests. Shastri claimed 6 wickets in that Test. In 1992 New Year Test, he opened the batting and smashed 206 during his nine and a half hour stay at the crease. India earned a lead of 170 and reduced the Aussies to 173/8 in the 2nd essay as Shastri bagged a 4-wicket haul. The match ended in a draw with Australia leading in the 2nd innings by just three runs and with two wickets in hand.
2. VVS Laxman – 549 runs:
VVS Laxman has a unique record at the Sydney Cricket Ground as he smashed three centuries in as many Test innings at this venue. His maiden Test ton came at this very venue in 2000 as Laxman scored 167 during India’s 2nd innings total of 261. He followed with a 179-run knock while batting along with Tendulkar in 2004 and scored 109 in the first innings of the 2008 Test while batting at No.3. Laxman also scored 66 in his final Test innings at the SCG in 2012. Overall, the Indian batsman aggregated 549 runs in 7 innings at an average of 78.42 with three tons and a fifty.
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 785 runs and 2 wickets:
#OnThisDay in 2004
16 years ago today Sachin Tendulkar hammered 241* vs Australia at SCG ?
*Tendulkar hit 33 4s in that Inns incredibly did not play even a single cover drive !?
*Scoring unbeaten 241 runs, which is still the highest score by any Asian batsman in Aus?#SRT pic.twitter.com/5mvMeC88DH— Ankit Mukherjee (@mukherjeeankit1) January 3, 2021
Sachin Tendulkar always did well at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He smashed an unbeaten 148 while batting with Ravi Shastri during his maiden Australian tour. Later in 2004, he came up with an unbeaten 241 which was his highest Test score at that time and made an unbeaten 60 in the 2nd innings.
Tendulkar scored his 3rd hundred in 2008 where he finished with an unbeaten 154 but India lost the game in the last moments. During India’s disastrous tour of 2012, he scored 41 and 80. Tendulkar scored 785 runs in 9 innings at a mighty average of 157 with help of three hundreds and two fifties.
