Sourav Ganguly Led India to a Historic Triumph at Headingley, Leeds
What made the win even more memorable was the way Sourav Ganguly’s team achieved it. Batting first, India’s top order delivered a masterclass, with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar scoring brilliant centuries. Their efforts laid the foundation for a massive total, which proved too much for England. Let’s take a look at how the match unfolded.
During India’s 1st innings in the 3rd Test at Leeds from August 22 to 26, 2002, India piled up 628/8 declared in 180.1 overs. They won the toss and chose to bat, putting England’s bowlers under pressure from the start. Sanjay Bangar and Virender Sehwag kicked things off. Sehwag, known for quick scoring, managed 8 runs off 23 balls with one four before Matthew Hoggard got him caught by Andrew Flintoff in the 6.5th over. Bangar stuck around, scoring 68 runs off 236 balls, hitting 10 fours, and playing a patient game. He put on a solid 170 runs with Rahul Dravid for the second wicket.
Dravid, the rock of the innings, made 148 runs off 307 balls with 23 fours. He looked unbreakable until Ashley Giles had him stumped by Alec Stewart in the 113.4th over after a long, steady effort. Sachin Tendulkar came in and scored 193 runs off 330 balls, smashing 19 fours and 3 sixes. He and Dravid added 150 runs for the third wicket, keeping England’s bowlers at bay. Tendulkar was out lbw to Andy Caddick in the 174.5th over, falling short of a double hundred.
Sourav Ganguly, India’s captain, blasted 128 runs off 167 balls, with 14 fours and 3 sixes. His 249-run stand with Tendulkar for the fourth wicket crushed England’s hopes. Ganguly was bowled by Alex Tudor in the 173.1st over. VVS Laxman scored 6 runs off 7 balls, with one four, before Tudor had him caught by Nasser Hussain in the 177.4th over. Ajit Agarkar made 2 runs off 7 balls, bowled by Caddick in the 176.3rd over. Parthiv Patel, the young keeper, was not out on 7 runs off 11 balls. Harbhajan Singh smashed 18 runs off 11 balls, with 4 fours, before Caddick got him in the 180.1st over, prompting India to declare.
The total included 50 extras with 14 byes, 13 leg byes, 18 no-balls, and 5 wides. England’s bowlers had a tough time. Andy Caddick took 3 wickets for 150 runs in 40.1 overs, getting late breakthroughs. Alex Tudor grabbed 2 wickets for 146 runs in 36 overs. Matthew Hoggard took 1 wicket for 102 runs in 36 overs, Andrew Flintoff got 1 for 68 runs in 27 overs, and Ashley Giles took 1 for 134 runs in 39 overs. Mark Butcher bowled 1 over for 0 runs, and Michael Vaughan bowled 1 over for 1 run, neither taking wickets. India’s batsmen ran the show with big scores and partnerships.
Coming to the 1st innings of England, India’s bowlers skittled England for 273 runs in 89 overs, forcing the follow-on. Rob Key and Michael Vaughan opened, putting on 67 runs. Key scored 30 runs off 76 balls, with 6 fours, before Zaheer Khan had him caught by VVS Laxman in the 21.6th over. Vaughan made 61 runs off 116 balls, hitting 9 fours, but Ajit Agarkar got him caught by Virender Sehwag in the 41.5th over. Mark Butcher scored 16 runs off 35 balls, with 2 fours, before Anil Kumble trapped him lbw in the 32.4th over.
Nasser Hussain, England’s captain, made 25 runs off 47 balls, with 5 fours, but was lbw to Zaheer Khan in the 47.2nd over, leaving England at 140/4. John Crawley scored 13 runs off 45 balls, with one four, before Harbhajan Singh had him caught by Laxman in the 56.3rd over. Andrew Flintoff fell for a duck, lbw to Harbhajan in the 56.4th over, sparking a collapse. Alec Stewart, the wicketkeeper, fought hard, scoring an unbeaten 78 runs off 120 balls with 11 fours. Alex Tudor made 1 run off 23 balls, caught by Sehwag off Agarkar in the 63.1st over.
Ashley Giles scored 25 runs off 52 balls, with 4 fours, before Kumble got him lbw in the 78.5th over. Andy Caddick made 1 run off 11 balls, bowled by Harbhajan in the 81.5th over. Matthew Hoggard scored 0 runs off 18 balls, caught by Sehwag off Kumble in the 88.6th over. England’s total had 23 extras, adding it with 1 bye, 12 leg byes, and 10 no-balls. India’s bowlers were on top.
Anil Kumble took 3 wickets for 93 runs in 33 overs, keeping things tight. Harbhajan Singh matched him, taking 3 wickets for 40 runs in 18 overs, using spin well. Zaheer Khan grabbed 2 wickets for 59 runs in 19 overs, and Ajit Agarkar took 2 for 59 runs in 15 overs. Sanjay Bangar bowled 4 overs for 9 runs without a wicket. India’s bowlers and fielders left England trailing by 355 runs.
When the England team came up with the Follow-On, they scored 309 runs in 110.5 overs, losing by an innings and 46 runs. Rob Key and Michael Vaughan opened. Vaughan made 15 runs off 27 balls, with 2 fours, before Ajit Agarkar got him lbw in the 9.4th over. Key scored 34 runs off 81 balls, with 4 fours, before Anil Kumble trapped him lbw in the 26.5th over. Mark Butcher made 42 runs off 100 balls, with 6 fours, caught by Rahul Dravid off Sanjay Bangar in the 39.5th over.
Nasser Hussain, the captain, scored 110 runs off 194 balls, with 18 fours and one six, before Kumble had him caught by Virender Sehwag in the 92.6th over. John Crawley scored 12 runs off 26 balls, with 2 fours, caught by Sehwag off Bangar in the 47.1st over. Alec Stewart scored 47 runs off 134 balls, with 7 fours, adding 117 runs with Hussain for the fifth wicket. Kumble got him caught by Dravid in the 94.2nd over. Andrew Flintoff made 0 runs off 2 balls, caught by Dravid off Zaheer Khan in the 93.2nd over. Alex Tudor scored 21 runs off 56 balls, with 4 fours, caught by Sehwag off Harbhajan Singh in the 109.2nd over. Ashley Giles made 10 runs off 26 balls, with one four, and was run out in the 103.6th over.
Andy Caddick scored 3 runs off 18 balls, caught by Sourav Ganguly off Kumble in the 110.5th over. Matthew Hoggard was not out on 1 run off 6 balls. England’s total included 14 extras, coming up with 3 byes, 5 leg byes, and 6 no-balls. Anil Kumble led with 4 wickets for 66 runs in 29.5 overs, bowling with control. Sanjay Bangar took 2 wickets for 54 runs in 13 overs. Zaheer Khan got 1 wicket for 63 runs in 22 overs, and Ajit Agarkar took 1 for 59 runs in 18 overs. Harbhajan Singh claimed 1 wicket for 56 runs in 27 overs. Virender Sehwag bowled 1 over for 3 runs. India’s bowlers and sharp fielding sealed a big win.