On this day: Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their Test debut – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Today, 20 June, marks one of the most historic days for Indian cricket as it introduced three Indian batting sensations- Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli in the longest format of the game. While Ganguly and Dravid started their decorated test career together in the same match in 1996, Kohli wore the white jersey for the first time on 20 June 2011.

It was the Lord’s Stadium in London that the world witnessed two batting legends- Ganguly and Dravid rule the 22-yard track for the first time in red-ball cricket during the second Test against England. While Ganguly came to bat at no. 3, Dravid got the opportunity to bat at no. 7. The duo not only played remarkable individual knocks but also helped the Indian side take an important 85-run lead in the first innings.

While no other batter from the Indian team managed to make a significant mark, the duo’s 94-run partnership led the team to a comfortable position. With as many as 20 boundaries, Ganguly smashed his maiden Test century scoring 131 runs off 301 deliveries. The ‘Prince of Kolkata’ also scalped a total of three crucial wickets in the game.

Dravid also displayed a good composure but missed out on a ton by just 5 runs. Dravid who later got the tag of ‘ The Wall’, faced 267 deliveries to score 95 runs. Though the match ended in a draw, the ‘Home of Cricket’  had shown glimpses that this duo would initiate a new era in Indian cricket.

On the other hand, former Indian skipper Virat Kohli got his first Test call-up after an impactful performance in the 2011 ICC World Cup. In the first Test of India’s tour to West Indies, the 23-year-old Kohli made his test debut at the Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica under the guidance of big names like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Though he failed to shine with the bat and scored 4 and 15 runs in the respective innings, Kohli went on to emerge as a legendary batter later on. Till now, he has recorded 8,043 runs in 101 outings at a batting average of 49.95. His tally includes 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries.

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