[Watch] Throwback to when Stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly all scored centuries in the same innings
On this day in 2002, the legendary trio of Indian batting, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly, each smashed centuries in the same innings for the only time in their illustrious careers.
It was the penultimate Test of the four-match affair in England following India's famous Natwest series win in 2002.
India entered the game trailing the series 1-0 and elected to bat first under overcast conditions, much to the surprise of pundits and fans. However, the move turned out to be a masterstroke, considering the side fielded two spinners to exploit the pitch in the fourth innings.
Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar played a defiant knock by taking blows on a treacherous pitch and scored a 236-ball 68 to lay the platform. He added 170 runs in a second-wicket partnership with Rahul Dravid before the latter scored a century. Tendulkar and skipper Ganguly also scored tons.
The side declared their first innings at 628/8 and completed their first Test victory in England since 1986 by an innings and 46 runs.
Please watch the below video to catch a glimpse of the three batters' centuries and the subsequent Indian victory:
The win is among the most memorable in Indian Test history, as it led to the team carrying tremendous belief in alien conditions overseas.
Unfortunately, for Team India, they could not capitalize on the Headingley win as the final Test at the Oval ended in a stalemate, leading to a 1-1 drawn series.
How the trio of Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly fared in Tests in England
Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly boast impressive overall Test numbers. While Tendulkar is the leading run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs, Dravid is behind him at No.4 with 13,288 runs.
Ganguly is also no slouch in the red-ball format, scoring 7,212 runs at an average of 42.17 in his 113 Tests.
The trio also performed admirably in English conditions throughout their careers, resulting in India drawing the series in 2002 and winning in 2007. The stunning fact is all three legends average above 50 on the usually bowler-friendly English conditions.
The current India coach, Rahul Dravid, has performed the best among the three in England, with a stunning average of 60.93, including a remarkable seven centuries. He made his Test debut at Lord's in 1996 and missed his century by just five runs.
However, the champion batter ensured to be on the Lord's honors board by scoring his maiden century at the venue in 2011.
Meanwhile, Ganguly debuted alongside Dravid in the same Test in 1996 and scored a brilliant century to put the cricketing world on notice. England has been the happy hunting ground for the former Indian captain in his Test career, averaging an impressive 57.82 in 12 games.
Tendulkar was no different from the other two greats, averaging 54.31 in 17 Tests in England, with four centuries and eight half-centuries.
The trio was a vital part of the golden generation of Indian batting in the 2000s, which included Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman.