Five little known facts in Indian cricket history

Cricket is a religion in the subcontinent. It unifies the entire nation into one when the Blue Tigers take the field against any opposition, no matter how invincible they are.

Fans across the entire nation can give up the entire savings of a lifetime for the chance to taste the extravagant vintage that comes with watching your favourite Gods taking the field across the world.

Now to make this experience even more enjoyable, one would love to be apprised about facts which are known to very few people. A chance to impress your mates in a cricketing debate.

We will sneak a peek into five very rare facts which will not only leave you stunned, but will also play a major role in enhancing your knowledge of Indian cricket.

1. Sachin Tendulkar has played for both India and Pakistan

I know, it sounds too impossible to be true. But yes, arguably India’s greatest batsman of all time , Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, played for Pakistan in a friendly game before he started playing for India.

He came on as a substitute for Pakistan before making his official debut for India. This incredible incident transpired in 1987, two years before the Master Blaster took over the reins of the Indian batting.

2. Lala Amarnath who was the only bowler to dismiss Bradman with a hit wicket dismissal

A legend of the game whose shot-span was absolutely gigantic and when it came to technique, Don Bradman has still been unparalleled. However, even the best of cricketers has got a few follies in his perfectly-ordained career.

Sir Donald Bradman was such a magnificent individual that with limited vision and weapons in one’s repertoire, bowlers had no clue of how to get him dismissed. However, who would have believed that such a prolific batsman, who seemed invincible to the world, could also get out to a hit wicket in Test Cricket.

The man who made this trickery possible was Lala Amarnath with his brute pace and belligerent attitude.

3. The only Indian to play for both England and India was Saif Ali Khan’s grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi

We are all aware of the batting and leadership prowess of Mansour Ali Khan Pataudi, whose charismatic presence captivated the entire nation. However, very few are aware of his grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi. 

He was the only Indian cricketer to have played tests for both India and England. With the dominion of the English over India, it was not something one would envisage but this happened, courtesy of his batting flair and also his royal stature.

4. Sachin Tendulkar did a prophecy and he ensured that he fulfilled it

Brad Hogg was an unorthodox wrist spinner who was quite a puzzle to play in his initial days. With the best of batsmen falling prey to his enigmatic chinaman bowling, he soon became a regular for Australia.

India’s best batsman, Sachin Tendulkar was also one of Hogg’s scalps in a crucial encounter against Australia where the Little Master dominated the proceedings until the unthinkable happened. 

Bemused by the movement and the flight of the delivery, Sachin’s blistering knock came to an abrupt halt. However, with humility being Hogg’s best ever weapon, he walked up to the maestro and asked for an autograph on the ball with which he claimed Sachin.

Tendulkar ensured him that this will never be iterated and Brad Hogg could never dismiss Tendulkar in his entire cricketing career again.

5. India are the only team in the world to win the 60-over, 50-over and 20-over cricket

This was a recent achievement by India and they are the only ones to notch this feat. Under the chaperonage of Kapil Dev, India lifted their 60-over World Cup in 1983, trouncing West Indies in a low-scoring thriller.

The second feather in the glorious cap of India came in 2007 when they defied their arch-rivals, Pakistan in another low scoring thriller to lift the T-20 World Cup under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

India completed this achievement when they went on to thump Sri Lanka emphatically with the captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni leading from the front and finishing the war with a gigantic sixer.