India re-writes Test record books with ‘DravBall’

The Indian cricket team re-wrote the Test record books following a rare display of ultra-attacking long format cricket on day four of the second Test against West Indies at Port of Spain on Monday, becoming the team with highest team run-rate in a Test inning lasting minimum of 20 overs. While England drawing polarising reactions from Test cricket lovers, purists with their ‘Bazball’ school of cricket, which focuses on positive and attacking gameplay and the need to achieve clear results, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid seemed to have taken a leaf from England’s book to present to fans what could be the first exhibition of ‘Dravball’. In their second innings, the Indian team went into white-ball cricket mode and smashed 181 runs in just 24 overs before declaring the innings. India scored their runs at a run rate of 7.54, the highest in Tests by a team during an inning lasting atleast 20 overs. They broke the record of Australia, who had scored 241/2 in just 32 overs against Pakistan in Sydney in 2017. The Aussies had scored these runs at a run rate of 7.53. Notably, India also smashed the fastest team hundred in Test cricket history. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened the innings for India and put on a stand of 98 runs in just 71 balls, that is 11.5 overs. Following Rohit’s dismissal, India reached the 100-run mark in just 12.2 overs, which is a total of 74 balls. India surpassed the 22-year-old record held by Sri Lanka. They had reached the 100-run mark in just 13.2 overs, that is in 80 balls against Bangladesh in 2001 during the Asian Test Championship. Mumbai stars Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma were two players who were at their most attacking. Rohit Sharma smashed the fastest half-century of his career. Batting in his T20I avatar, Rohit reached his half-century in just 35 balls. Ishan Kishan also smashed his half-century in just 33 balls. Kishan smashed the second-fastest fifty by an Indian wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant has the fastest half-century by an Indian keeper in just 28 balls.