5 unsung heroes from India's famous overseas Test wins since 2000
Since 2000, the Indian cricket team has won many memorable Test matches outside the subcontinent and some of those triumphs have permanently imprinted their names in the history of Indian cricket.
A team with a dismal record outside the subcontinent recorded some famous Test wins in challenging conditions which are still treasured by one and all.
Many stars of Indian cricket were influential in those triumphs and people still remember their heroics. But there were unsung heroes too, who helped with their splendid performances but didn’t quite get the recognition they deserved.
Who were they? Let’s find out (We followed the chronological order)
Note: Only the victories that came after 2000 were considered.
1) Sanjay Bangar – Headingley, 2002
People remember this particular Test match for the plethora of runs that the famous trio amassed. Sachin, Sourav, and Rahul scored brilliant hundreds to help India put a mammoth total of 628 and set a thumping innings and 46-run victory over the Englishmen.
However, the scene wouldn’t have looked that rosy had the pair of Dravid and Bangar not survived the opening few overs. Ganguly’s decision to bat first on a seaming Headingley wicket amidst typical English conditions raised quite a few eyebrows and the decision started to look hasty as India lost their opener Virender Sehwag early. However, Sehwag’s opening partner Sanjay Bangar held firm.
Countering the likes of Matthew Hoggard, Andy Caddick, Alex Tudor and Andrew Flintoff, Bangar scored a gutsy 68 off 236 balls and batted for 296 minutes to weather the early storm and lay the foundation for a big score.
His name surely deserves a mention in this list as he played a crucial knock to nullify the swing and seam and stitched an important 170-run partnership with Dravid.