The Indian Cricket Team, also known as the "Men in Blue," has a unique place in the hearts of cricket fans worldwide. With its rich history and incredible roster of players, The Indian Cricket Team has accomplished some amazing achievements and cemented its place in the sport's history. From record-breaking chases to special performances and accomplishments achieved by Indian cricketers, India has emerged as one of the most formidable cricketing nations. In this article, we take a look at the Top 10 Unique Facts About the Indian Cricket Team.
1. First Indian Cricket Team
The first Indian cricket team to tour England in 1887 was all Parsi. The 'Oriental Cricket Club' was the first Indian cricketing club founded by Parsis in 1848. Dr. D.H. Patel, a quick underarm bowler and a competent batsman, led India on their first tour to England. India finished the time with just one win and 19 defeats. However, it paved the path for future overseas tours on Indian soil.
2. Only Indian Cricketer To Represent Two Nations
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, also known as the Nawab of Pataudi, was an Indian Prince and a cricketer. He captained the Indian side during the England Tour of 1946. He also represented both India and England in Test Cricket.
3. First Cricketer To Score 10000 Runs In Test Cricket
Sunil Gavaskar was the first Test cricketer to reach 10,000 runs. In his 212th Test match, he struck his 10,000th run against Pakistan in Ahmedabad. Gavaskar became the first batsman to score 10000 runs in Tests, a record he held for nine years until Allan Border shattered it in 1999. He was a great batter, often recognized as one of the finest. He became the record-holder for the most centuries scored by an opener and the most test runs scored in a year.
4. India’s First Test Match
India played its 1st Test Match against England from 25 to 28 June 1932. India was headed by CK Nayudu, the finest Indian batsman then. The match was notable for various reasons: It was the first test match played by an Asian team. It was also the only test match India played before independence. It was also the quickest test match (finished in two days, with India losing). It included six players who became leaders of their respective teams.
5. Highest Wicket-taking Bowler In ODI And Tests
Anil Kumble, considered one of the greatest leg spinners of all time, is India’s highest wicket-taking bowler in both Tests and ODI. He picked up 611 wickets in Tests and 334 in ODI, which puts him at the top of the list. He is also the third-highest wicket-taking bowler across all formats, behind Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. He holds the record for the most five-wicket hauls(35) and ten-wicket hauls(8) by an Indian Bowler in Tests.
6. Sachin’s Only Duck
Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest batsman of all time, who had a record of scoring the highest runs in the Ranji Trophy, was once bowled for a duck just once. Do you know who the bowler was? The bowler turned out to be Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who became one of India’s best bowlers picking up consecutive purple caps in IPL 2016 and IPL 2017.
7. MS Dhoni, As A Captain
MS Dhoni, one of India's most loved and most followed cricketing icons, has the record for being the only captain to win both all three ICC tournaments, namely the T20 World Cup(2007), Cricket World Cup(2011), and the Champions Trophy(2013). India is also the only cricketing nation to have won a 60-over (1983), a 50-over (2011), and a 20-over world cup(2007). MS Dhoni also owns the record for the most stumpings as a wicketkeeper in international cricket (195) and the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in T20s (91). He is the first wicketkeeper-batsman to lead India and is its most successful captain winning 178 matches out of 331.
8. The Only Player To Not Feature In A Cricket World Cup
VVS Laxman, regarded as one of the classiest batters of all time, is the only player to have appeared in more than 100 test matches at home and abroad but never featured in a Cricket World Cup match. Laxman's exclusion from the Indian Team in world cup matches was often an issue since he performed exceptionally in Tests. The 376-run stand with Rahul Dravid against Australia, in particular, underlined his batting supremacy in cricket history. His one-day international career lasted from 1998 to 2006. However, he was never called up for any of the four world cups during that period.
9. Master Blaster
The Greatest Batsman of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, holds numerous records in Indian cricket, including the most runs overall(34,557), most centuries struck(100), most matches played(664), most awards in International Cricket(201). He is also the only player to have appeared in six World Cups. (1992 to 2011) was the leading run-scorer in its 1996 and 2003 editions, with 523 and 673 runs, respectively.
10. Dismissed Twice in a Single Day
India holds the record for being the first team to be dismissed twice within a single day. This happened when India toured England in 1952. India was dismissed for 58 runs in 21.4 overs and 82 runs in 36.3 overs. They were defeated by an innings and 207 runs in the test match, a major setback at the time.
