OTD: How Boycott overtook Sobers; became Test cricket's top run-scorer

Before India’s batting maestros Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar stamped their dominance connected the database of Test cricket’s apical run-getters, West Indies’ legendary all-rounder Garry Sobers held the grounds for a agelong time, finishing his vocation with conscionable implicit 8,000 runs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Gavaskar aboriginal became the archetypal batter to breach the 10,000-run people and retired with 10,122 runs from 125 matches successful 1987. Tendulkar past lifted the grounds adjacent higher erstwhile helium bid adieu with a staggering 15,921 runs from 200 matches successful 2013. Before each that, Sobers had created the benchmark for astir runs erstwhile helium retired successful 1974.

Sobers played for the mighty West Indies from 1954 to 1974, scoring 8,032 runs astatine a stunning mean of 57.78 successful conscionable 93 Tests, including 26 hundreds and 30 fifties.Seven years later, connected this time successful 1981 — December 23 — England large Geoffrey Boycott surpassed the long-standing grounds successful benignant successful Delhi, hitting a 100 astatine the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. The lucifer ended successful a draw, contempt England declaring their archetypal innings astatine 476/9.

December 23, 1981 — The time Boycott etched his sanction successful the grounds books

The England opener was successful the last signifier of a agelong career, having debuted against Australia astatine Nottingham successful 1964. The India circuit was his past Test bid for the past 41-year-old batting legend.

Before the fateful day, Boycott needed 82 runs to interruption Sobers’ towering record. England skipper Keith Fletcher won the flip and decided to bat archetypal successful Delhi.

England started confidently arsenic their openers — Boycott and Graham Gooch — scored steadily and added 132 runs for the opening wicket. Both reached their half-centuries earlier Dilip Doshi provided the hosts with their archetypal breakthrough, dismissing Gooch for 71 disconnected 176 balls, an innings that included 11 fours.By the extremity of the opening day, the grounds belonged to the England batter, with Boycott finishing connected 86 not retired to instrumentality his wide tally to a grounds 8,037 runs. England went to stumps astatine 190/1.Boycott completed his 100 — his 22nd and last period — the adjacent time earlier falling to Doshi for 105. He struck conscionable 7 fours successful his marathon 285-ball sound and added different period concern of 116 runs with Chris Tavare, who scored a majestic 149 disconnected 303 balls, including 18 fours.England ended Day 2 astatine 428/4, earlier the pursuing time was taken arsenic a remainder time owed to Christmas.England declared astatine 476/9 connected Day 3, but India replied steadily, with opener and skipper Gavaskar contributing 46. At stumps, India were 172/3, with Gundappa Viswanath unbeaten connected 67 and Sandeep Patil connected 30. India batted done the full 4th day, adding 204 runs for the nonaccomplishment of 4 wickets, with Viswanath scoring 107.India were yet bowled retired for 487 connected the last day, aft which England batted concisely earlier declaring their 2nd innings connected 68 without loss.

The 2 teams past shook hands connected a draw, but the lucifer remains champion remembered for Boycott’s record-breaking feat connected the opening day.

Geoffrey Boycott’s 'abrupt' last goodbye

Boycott brought down the curtain connected his 18-year Test vocation successful the adjacent lucifer of the circuit astatine the iconic Eden Gardens. It was a subdued end, arsenic helium managed conscionable 18 and 6 successful the 2 innings of the Kolkata Test, which besides ended successful a draw.Hosts India won the six-match bid 1-0, pursuing their 138-run triumph successful the opening Test astatine the Wankhede Stadium successful Mumbai.The Kolkata Test was the 4th lucifer of the series, and interestingly, Boycott returned to England earlier the circuit concluded, abruptly ending his Test vocation arsenic the starring run-getter successful the format’s history.