- 192 runs by Sehwag and Ganguly in 2002
The 11th match in the round robin league of the 2002 edition was played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on 22nd September, 2002, between India and England.
Nasser Hussain led England elected to bat and, riding on the back of a half century by Nick Knight (50), and a solid contribution of 82 runs off 68 deliveries from ian Blackwell, put up 269 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
For India, Aashish Nehra and Anil Kumble claimed 2 wickets each.
Chasing 270 runs for a win, the Indian openers, Virendra Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly, ‘set the stadium on fire’ with their flurry of shots all over the ground.
Both of them notched up their centuries. Sehwag got to his ton facing just 77 balls in 104 minutes with the help of 17 fours and a six. He ended up scoring 126 runs in 136 minutes, facing 104 deliveries at a strike rate of 121.15, aided by 21 fours and a six, before he was ‘caught and bowled’ by Blackwell in the 29th over, with Indian score at 192 runs.
Not to be left behind, Ganguly reached the century landmark after facing 103 balls with the help of 10 fours and 2 sixes, after spending 178 minutes at the crease.
The southpaw remained unbeaten till the end putting on 117* runs off 109 balls at a strike rate of 107.33, studded with 12 fours and 3 sixes and helped India reach the target in 39.3 overs. India won the contest by 8 wickets with 63 balls to spare.
The 192-run Indian first-wicket partnership against England, between Sehwag and Ganguly, replaced the then existing record of 188 runs set by Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri at Cuttack in 1984-85.
Virendra Sehwag won the Player of the Match award.
