(Note: Every so often I shall have a pop quiz on my blog with questions about people, places, things, events, and any other thing that comes to mind. Please take the quiz without peeking at the answers, which will be included at the end, and let me know how you did. Previous quizzes can be seen by clicking here.)
Today's quiz is about sports personalities.
1) In a Test match in 2007, I was involved in a 408 run partnership for the first wicket. I was the first wicket to fall at a personal score of just 129 runs. At that time my partner was batting on 49. Yes, you read that right, he had scored 49 runs and I had scored 129. Who am I? Actually, more importantly, how was this 408 run partnership possible, especially considering that the opposition had give up just 10 extras?
2) I am the only batsman to have been involved in two partnerships of over 400 runs for the first wicket. Both times, the partnership ended within one scoring stroke of setting the world record. Yet, I have scored more runs (than anyone else in Test history, in fact) at a different position - #3.
3) On my Test debut I opened the bowling for India along with my fellow debutant Tinu Yohanan. My solitary wicket was of Graham Thorpe. In the second inning I even made the winning runs. In fact, I scored 100% of the runs made by India in that second inning. I am one of the few genuinely fast bowlers who have opened the batting and bowling in their debut Test. Unfortunately, I never played another Test match for India.
4) I am the only player in the history of tennis to have won at least 10 tournament on every surface that the sport is played on - clay, grass, hard court, and indoor.
5) The Sportsmanship award in tennis is voted on by the players. I won it so many times that, after I retired, the award was renamed in my honor! I am the only man to have won all four Grand Slams tournaments in the same year, as a junior. I would have completed a career Slam on the senior circuit if a 17 year-old had not caught fire and won his only major after I was leading him 2 sets to one and was even up a break in the 5th set.
Answers after the jump:
4) I am the only player in the history of tennis to have won at least 10 tournament on every surface that the sport is played on - clay, grass, hard court, and indoor.
5) The Sportsmanship award in tennis is voted on by the players. I won it so many times that, after I retired, the award was renamed in my honor! I am the only man to have won all four Grand Slams tournaments in the same year, as a junior. I would have completed a career Slam on the senior circuit if a 17 year-old had not caught fire and won his only major after I was leading him 2 sets to one and was even up a break in the 5th set.
Answers after the jump:
Answers:
1) Bangladesh were the hapless victims as the top 4 Indian batsmen made centuries. However, both openers retired not out because of cramps and Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar continued batting until Dravid got out with the team score at 408. At which point KD Karthik came back in and completed his century. Here's the scorecard. And here's the partnership breakdown.
2) The answer is the same as for #1.
3) Iqbal Siddiqui should be happy that his solitary wicket came courtesy of a catch by VVS Laxman. Not a bad memory to have, I'd say.
4) More proof why I regard Roger Federer as the GOAT.
5) This was for you, BD. Stefan Edberg won the Fairplay award 5 times. (By the way, in 2011, Roger Federer won it for the 7th time in his career!)
3) Iqbal Siddiqui should be happy that his solitary wicket came courtesy of a catch by VVS Laxman. Not a bad memory to have, I'd say.
4) More proof why I regard Roger Federer as the GOAT.
5) This was for you, BD. Stefan Edberg won the Fairplay award 5 times. (By the way, in 2011, Roger Federer won it for the 7th time in his career!)
2 comments:
I can never have enough of Stefan Edberg. Nobody reigned with his class - and nobody walked away from the game with no regrets and has stayed away with more class than the genial Swede.
True, very true. What a player. I still remember vividly the US Open when he became the first man to win a tournament after being down a break in the 5th set in 3 consecutive matches.
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