When Sanjay Bangar beat Virat Kohli in run chase
Former India cricketer-turned coach once chased down 325 in style.
Mumbai: Sanjay Bangar, named the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team for the tour of Zimbabwe, didn’t play much international cricket as a player but there remains one match where he became a hero overnight.
Virat Kohli maybe the current hero when it comes to run chase but 14 years back, it was Bangar who bailed India out of danger.
Bangar made his ODI debut in 2002, a year after he earned his Test cap, and in the same year he helped India chase down 325 against West Indies.
The right-handed batsman remained unbeaten on 57 off 41 balls along with Rahul Dravid, who scored a ton, to help India cross the line in Motera (Ahmedabad) in the fourth ODI in the bilateral series. They won the match by five wickets.
Batting first, West Indies posted 324 for the loss of four wickets which included a hundred from Chris Gayle (140). Ramnaresh Sarwan remained not out on 99.
India were reeling at 231 for the loss of five wickets after the departure of Mohammad Kaif when Bangar joined Dravid in the middle.
He smashed five fours and two sixes to bridge the run and ball gap.
In his two-year international career, Bangar appeared in 12 Tests and scored 470 runs including a hundred and three half-centuries; he managed only 180 runs out of 15 outings in ODI cricket but this innings is special.
India chased down a total of 320-plus twice in the same year, after the Natwest Trophy final against England at Lord’s.