Top five highest scores by India in Tests vs Bangladesh
Bangladesh obtained associate membership from ICC in the year 1979 but they had to wait till the year 1998 to taste their first victory in one-day international cricket. Mohammed Rafique is credited for the victory in that match where he scored a brilliant 77 runs and also took 3 wickets against Kenya in India. The Bangla Tigers earned their Test status in 2000 but struggled to adapt to the nature of the format due to their poorly-structured first-class league.
They faced India in their inaugural Test match and Aminul Islam became the first player to score a century in the country’s Test history. He scored 145 runs in 380 balls with an unimpressive strike rate of 38.15 in the innings. Till date, Bangladesh’s highest total against India is 400 which they scored in their inaugural Test.
On the other hand, even before Bangladesh played in The Asia Cup (in 1986), India had already won a World Cup in 1983. By the time Bangladesh were given Test status, India had a strong Test team with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and captained by the ‘Bengal Tiger’ Sourav Ganguly.
Since 2000, India and Bangladesh have played eight Test matches, the former having won six times and drawn twice. The on-going Test match is the first Test between the sides on Indian soil as the rest of the ties were played in Bangladesh.
Let’s take a look at the highest totals India have amassed against Bangladesh in Test matches.
#5 India 526/10 in 136.4 overs - Dhaka, 2004
It was the first Test match of the 2004 series and having won the toss, India elected to field first. Indian pacer Irfan Pathan, who was just 20 years of age, dismissed five Bangladeshi batsmen to bowl them out for a cheap score of 184. In reply, India did not start well and were reduced to 68 for 3, before Sachin Tendulkar and captain Sourav Ganguly put up 164 runs for the fourth wicket.
After Ganguly's dismissal, Tendulkar managed to stick with the lower order batsmen and brought up his fourth double century. He went on to make an unbeaten 248 runs off 365 balls and it consisted of 35 fours. It remains Tendulkar’s highest score in Test matches.
India scored a massive total of 526 runs in their first innings and were quick to dismiss Bangladesh for just 202. Irfan Pathan took 11 wickets in the Test and was adjusted Man of the Match, in a game that was a one-sided affair with India winning by an innings and 140 runs.