The match may have swung India’s way but not without the home team creating history.
Here’s a rundown of just how special this victory was.
This was the highest successful run chase in the sub continent, the last time being the 275 that West Indies made way back in 1987-’88.
Abroad of course, the 1975 Port of Spain effort when India made 406 for four was India’s best.
In the overall world rankings, this effort in the first Test in Chennai against England rates as the fourth best with West Indies’ Antigua feat chasing Australia’s 418 tops the list while the 1948 effort by Australia beating England with 404 for three in their fourth innings at Leeds separates the two Indian efforts.
Strauss Facts
But England did have a little special sun rays of their own, even as they faded away under the star called India.
Andrew Strauss was chartering historical waters himself.
Strauss became the second Englishman after Graham Gooch to score a century in each innings of a Test match against India. Gooch scored 333 & 123 in the 1990 Lord’s Test.
Strauss is the seventh batsman to have scored a century in each innings of a Test match against India – after Don Bradman (Australia), Everton Weekes (West Indies), Duleep Mendis (Sri Lanka), Graham Gooch (England), Gary Kirsten (South Africa) and Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka).
Incidentally he returned the favour by becoming Harbhajan Singh’s 31oth wickets making him the third best off spinner in Test cricket.
Strauss became the tenth English batsman and the 51st overall to hit centuries in both innings of a Test match.
He joins the likes of :Charles Russel, Herbert Sutcliffe, Wally Hammond, Eddie Paynter, Dennis Crompton, Graham Gooch, Alex Stewart, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick.
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Strauss is a legend!
