The Only Time Each India Player In Playing XI Got The Opportunity To Bowl In A Test Innings

Cricket is a very unpredictable game with one ball that can turn the table on its own. It could be one big hit or just one wicket to change the complete course of the game. Test cricket has been the pinnacle of the game with the oldest format still earning the respect of world-class players.

Test cricket’s beauty is that it doesn’t pose enough restrictions unlike its counterpart in white-ball formats. There is no restriction on how many fielders can be placed inside the circle or one bowler can bowl a limited number of overs.

Despite the facility to bowl as many bowlers in a particular game, there are only four instances of a team bowling all of their 11 players in an innings of a Test match. India are one of the four teams to create a unique record of bowling all 11 players of the team.

Ajay Ratra became the 11th Indian bowler to bowl against West Indies

It was the fourth Test between West Indies and India on May 14, 2002, when India asked wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra to bowl the 247th over and hence becoming the third team then to utilise 11 bowlers in a Test innings.

Indian bowling attack led by Javagal Srinath were having a tough time against West Indies. They toiled under the sweltering conditions at Antigua Recreation Ground (St John’s). Although Anil Kumble trapped Brian Lara in front of the stumps for leg before wicket, the West Indies attack comprising Shivnarine Chanderpaul (136), then skipper Carl Hooper (136), and Ridley Jacobs (118)  dominated against the Indian bowlers.

Name of 11 Indian bowlers to bowl in a Test match

The hosts piled up 629 runs for nine wickets before they declared in response to India’s first-innings total of 513 for 9 (d). Zaheer Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Jaffer picked two wickets apiece, while Kumble, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid managed to get one batter out in that Test.

New-ball bowlers like Srinath and Ashish Nehra didn’t manage to pick wickets and then skipper Sourav Ganguly gave every player from his team the opportunity to roll their arms in the first innings. Srinath (45), Nehra (49) and Zaheer (48) were the only bowlers to bowl more than 40 overs.

Team India’s bowling XI against West Indies in 4th Test (2002): Javagal Srinath, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jaffer, Shiv Sunder Das, Ajay Ratra.

The match ended in a stalemate after West Indies’ first-innings itself, but India lost the five-match Test series 1-2.

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