India's 3 highest run-scorers in Tests in Kanpur ft. Sunil Gavaskar
India take on Bangladesh in the second and final Test of the bilateral series being played between the two teams at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, starting from Friday, September 27.
The hosts won the first Test in Chennai by an emphatic 280 runs and have taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the series. Bangladesh will have to play out of their skin to pull one back here and effect a draw.
The Tigers came into this series on the back of a 2-0 whitewash they gave to Pakistan on their own soil and were geared up to do the same to the Indians. However, the Men in Blue stopped them in their tracks in Chennai.
Green Park is a historic venue in Indian cricket as it has played host to a lot of scintillating encounters over the years. The city of Kanpur too is often overlooked but is famous for the leather and textile industries it houses.
In this listicle, we take a look at the top three highest run-scorers for India in Tests in Kanpur:
#3 Mohammad Azharuddin (543 runs)
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was one of the most stylish and attractive batters the world has ever seen, comes third on this list thanks to the 543 runs he amassed at this venue during his playing days.
The wristy Hyderabadi piled up three centuries and one half-century at Green Park while averaging an astronomical 181 to put the frighteners on any bowling attack. Interestingly, he played five innings here and failed just once.
After retiring, Azharuddin dabbled in politics and was even the president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association from 2019 to 2022. However, his tenure at the helm was marred by rampant corruption and alleged misuse of power, among other infamies.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar (629 runs)
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar, perhaps the best classical opening batter India has produced, comes second on this list. The Mumbaikar played in nine Test matches at the venue and accumulated 629 runs at an average of 44.92.
Although Gavaskar scored just one century and five half-centuries in Kanpur, it is markedly a special one for him as his wife Marshneil (nee Mehrotra) hails from the city, and met the former when he was playing a match here.
The diminutive former opener is now mostly seen in commentary boxes across the world while giving his opinion about things that bother him in his trademark no-nonsense, call-a-spade-a-spade manner.
#1 Gundappa Vishwanath (776 runs)
Gundappa Vishwanath, who floored cricketing audiences during his playing days with his flair, elegance and immutable style, is truly the king of Green Park, having piled up 776 runs in the seven Test matches he played here.
Vishwanath, known for his impeccable square cut, averaged an extremely impressive 86 at this venue and notched up three centuries and four half-centuries in the 12 innings that he walked out to bat.
What many people do not know is that the former Karnataka player also scored his first Test century at this venue, in the second innings of his debut match against Australia in 1969, after getting out for a duck in the first.