However, there have been numerous occasions in cricket when the so-called ’extras’ proved to be the saving grace for a batting side that had succumbed to a collective failure. In such situations, the passively scored runs through extras have outscored the total number of runs scored by the entire eleven in the batting order in a completed inning.
Of the 39 such occurrences in ODIs, the team at the receiving end of this misery happened to win only thrice; in Tests, on three occasions out of the nineteen, the ’extra’ runs helped teams win the match.
India has faced this plight on six occasions in international cricket, twice in Tests and four times in ODIs. Let’s have a look at these matches when ’extras’ out-scored the ‘ordinary’ Indian batting order.
#1 India v Windies, Mohali Test 1994
In December 1994, in the final match of the 3-Test series, the visiting team put on 443 on the board after winning the toss and India replied with 387 in the first innings. The Windies then declared with 301 on the board, leaving India with a target of 358 to achieve victory.
The Indian wickets fell like a pack of cards as no-one managed to score beyond 17, the score managed by both Javagal Srinath and Sanjay Manjrekar. Had it not been for the 22 extras dished out by the Windies’ bowlers, the Indians would have folded out for less than hundred as they eventually did so for just 114.
The Windies won the match by 243 runs and levelled the series 1-1. It is worthy to mention, though, that this was their last Test win on Indian soil till date.
#2 India v Pakistan, Toronto 1996
In the fifth and deciding match of the Sahara Friendship Cup, 1996 played between arch-rivals Indian and Pakistan, the latter posted 213 in their quota of overs, leaving the former with a modest target to win the series.
The Indians, however, made a meal of the contest as they succumbed to the guile of the spin duo of Mushtaq Ahmed (5-36) and Saqlain Mushtaq (2-34). The extras, which amounted to 25, top-scored for the Indians, none of whom could score more than Sachin Tendulkar’s 23, resulting in them getting all-out for a paltry 161.
#3 India v South Africa, Durban Test 1996
In the first match of their 1996-97 tour to South Africa, the Indian team found the fast track at the Kingsmead and the pace of White Lightning Allan Donald too hot to handle.
After restricting the Proteas to 238, the Indian team merely managed three figures as the 16 extras helped them score exactly 100. Sourav Ganguly, who also managed 16, was the top scoring batsman as seven of them could not even enter into double digits.
The second innings was no better for the inept Indian batsmen, all of whom could only manage 66 this time, including 5 extras. Rahul Dravid’s 27* was the only double-digit score as the match ended within three days.
#4 India v Windies, Toronto 1999
Toronto, one has to believe, has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for the Indian batting order as it yet again features on this list. In the second ODI of a three-match series against the Windies in September 1999, the Carribean team could only manage 190 runs in their 50 overs.
Nonetheless, this too proved too much for the Indians. In fact, had it not been for the lower order contributions they would have ended up losing by a huge margin as they were tottering at 43-7. Sunil Joshi scored 25 runs but could not inch past the top scorer- extras, which accounted for 26 of the total 120 runs India could muster.
#5 India v Australia, Sydney 2000
In the fourth match of the 2000 CB Series played at the SCG, Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bat, only to see his team being all-out in 36.3 overs.
Of the 100 runs against India’s name, as many as 32 came through extras and unlike previous occasions when the top scoring batsman scored close to the number of extras, the difference between top scorer Rahul Dravid’s tally and the extras was ten. Australia had a walk in the park while chasing down the target in less than 27 overs.
#6 India v New Zealand, Christchurch 2003
Just prior to the 2003 World Cup, India toured New Zealand for a 7-match series. After two consecutive losses, Ganguly decided to bat first in the third ODI.
The Indians had a disastrous outing as their innings never got going, folding up for a mere 108. Rahul Dravid, once again, top scored among the batsmen with a score of 20. Although the Kiwi bowlers bowled in a disciplined manner, evident from the 199 dot balls out of India’s 247 ball stay at the crease, they ended up conceding 22 extras.
The home team won the match and eventually won the series 5-2, ringing the alarm bells for the Indian team preparing for the World Cup.
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