The jewel in Indian cricket's statistical crown

It is always a fascinating exercise to browse through the comprehensive records section of Wisden. Not long ago, even as I was checking up on some facts, Australia were racing to their four-wicket victory over South Africa at Cape Town. To score 331 runs in the fourth innings of a Test match, whatever the state of the wicket, is a commendable feat, and instinctively I looked up the section on highest successful fourth-innings chases.

Sunil Gavaskar must, of course, figure prominently in the records list, and he stands regally on top in two major sections. He is the only batsman in history to make two separate hundreds in a Test three times; the third time he achieved the feat was in 1978-79, and it is an achievement that has eluded many eminent batsmen.

Australia's score at Newlands was the 10th highest in Test match history, the field being led by India's run-chase against the West Indies at Port of Spain in 1976. In 26 years and 825 Tests, no team has come close to breaking this record. India, by scoring 406 for four over two memorable days, broke a 28-year-old record that Australia set by getting 404 for three against England at Leeds in 1948.

As the cliché goes, records are meant to be broken. But some marks stand the test of time for more extended periods. For example, one record has stood since 1894-95 - the fastest fifty recorded in Test cricket is still JT Brown's, who reached the mark in 28 minutes for England against Australia at Melbourne.

Speaking of major records, Sydney Francis Barnes' tally of 49 wickets for a series has stood since 1913-14. And to think that Barnes played only four Tests, missing the final game following a dispute! And on the batting front, even with the extension of Test match series from five matches to six, many eminent batsmen have found Don Bradman's tally of 974 for Australia against England in 1930 quite unsurpassable.

Indian teams and cricketers do figure fairly prominently in the records section. Besides heading the list for the highest winning fourth-innings total, which I have already recalled, India tops the list in the highest fourth-innings total to draw a five-day game ­ 429 for eight against England at the Oval in 1979, chasing a target of 438.

I have already touched upon the oldest Test record, Brown's fastest half-century. But in terms of balls faced, it is Kapil Dev who heads the list. The legendary Indian all-rounder reached the half-century off just 30 balls against Pakistan at Karachi in 1982-83. Kapil is also the only cricketer in Test history to have hit four successive sixes in an over. As is well-known, Mohammad Azharuddin is the only batsman in history to score hundreds in each of his first three Test matches. More then 17 years - and some 600 Tests - have gone by since he notched up the feat, but few batsmen has come close to duplicating it.

Sunil Gavaskar must, of course, figure prominently in the records list, and he stands regally on top in two major sections. He is the only batsman in history to make two separate hundreds in a Test three times; the third time he achieved the feat was in 1978-79, and it is an achievement that has eluded many eminent batsmen. Of course, as is all too well-known, his tally of 34 hundreds tops the centuries list, well ahead of the next best - 29 - for over 15 years now. Besides, Gavaskar is the only batsman to cross 1000 runs in a calendar year four times. While on the subject, Mohinder Amarnath is the earliest to get to that figure ­ May 3 ­ during his golden year of 1983.

There are many more sections in which Indian players share records or are one among a select few who have accomplished a certain feat. However, I am touching upon only those records in which an Indian stands alone. I cannot of course forget Narendra Hirwani's 16 for 136 against the West Indies at Madras in 1987-88 ­ the best match-figures by any bowler playing in his first Test.

But for my money, Indian cricket's proudest statistical achievement is still the one that has stood the test of time for over 46 years and nearly 1200 Test matches. The latest Wisden, released as usual in the first week of April, has the following entry in the section of "Highest partnership for each wicket" ­ First wicket: 413, Vinoo Mankad (231) and Pankaj Roy (173), India vs New Zealand, Madras, 1955-56.

Sheer longevity is certainly one reason why it remains an outstanding feat. Also, it is supremely ironical that India, which also has statistically the worst start in the history of Test cricket to its name ­ losing the first four wickets without a run scored against England at Leeds in 1952 ­ should also hold the first-wicket record.

Since Mankad and Roy shared the partnership over two sunny days at the Corporation Stadium on January 6 and 7 1956, a couple of associations have come close but fallen short. Australians Bill Lawry and Bobby Simpson put on 382 runs against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1965, and seven years later, Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis added 387 runs for New Zealand against the West Indies at Georgetown. But the Mankad-Roy partnership survives to this day, making it certainly the jewel in Indian cricket's statistical crown.