Harbhajan Singh, the former Indian spinner took a dig at the Australian cricket team remembering the horrific umpiring during the 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. During the Hindi commentary stint on Day 2 of the Pink Ball test at Adelaide, Harbhajan Singh did not waste the opportunity to criticise the umpiring Indian cricket faced in Down Under during that series.

Australia won the 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar Series by 2-1 in the four-test match series. However, the umpiring of Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson was highlighted throughout the series, especially during the Sydney test. 

The Aussies outplayed India in the first test at Melbourne where Matthew Hayden scored a sublime ton in the first inning. They won the test match by 337 runs to go 1-0 up in the series. 

But, the Indian team bounced back with a solid in the second test in Sydney. However, despite a brilliant show by the Indian batters and bowlers, India lost by 122 runs, especially due to dreadful umpiring by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson. 

First, Ricky Ponting had nicked off a delivery down the leg side and despite a big sound, Benson did not give him out. Later, Sourav Ganguly's edge was not taken cleanly and umpire Mark Benson gave that out despite the replay showing the opposite. 

Andrew Symonds, who was the player of the match in the second test, was clearly caught behind by MS Dhoni off Ishant Sharma's bowling but was not given out.  MS Dhoni stumped out Symonds from Anil Kumble's bowling, but Steve Bucknor did not even bother to check the stumping with the third umpire. 

The umpiring was so bad that Indian Express reported the match "India caught Benson, bowled Bucknor." 

When the topic is umpiring during the 2007-08 #BorderGavaskarTrophy, @harbhajan_singh doesn't hold back! 🫣#AUSvINDOnStar 2nd Test, Day 2 👉 LIVE NOW! | #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/Y7PDGLJHMA

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 7, 2024

While remembering all these decisions, Harbhajan Singh did not hold himself by mentioning that Steve Bucknor made his debut for Australia in that test and he was the 12th man for Australia in that test match.

Despite going down, India won the third test by 72 runs in Brisbane. However, India could not draw the series as the final test of the series at Adelaide was drawn. 

Few legacies in sports are as enduring and inspiring as those of father-son duos who have left an unforgettable mark on the game. Cricket is filled with iconic father-son duos who have captured the hearts of fans worldwide. While some sons struggled to meet the towering expectations set by their fathers, others rose above the legacy, stepping out of their father’s shadow to make their own mark.

In this article, we will take a look at the cricket facts of father-Son duos who played for India.

Also Read: 10 Forgotten Indian Cricketers and Their Stories

Cricket facts | Father-Son duos who played for India

Hemant (Father) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (Son)

A former Indian cricketer, Hemant Kanitkar was a versatile batsman who played for Maharashtra and two international games for India in 1974.

Later on, his son Hrishikesh Kantikar went on to make his India debut as an all-rounder, playing two Tests and 34 ODIs. 

Vijay Manjrekar (Father) and Sanjay Manjrekar (Son)

Vijay Manjrekar represented the Indian team from 1950 onwards. His 222-run partnership with Vijay Hazare against England etched his name in history. He played 53 Tests for India. 

Sanjay Manjrekar also joined the Indian cricket team in 1987 and played 111 matches. But his career did not last long. Sanjay played 37 Tests and 74 ODIs for the country before he was bogged down by the weight of expectations thrust on him. 

Roger Binny (Father) and Stuart Binny (Son)

Stuart Binny and Roger Binny have also played international cricket for India. Roger is currently the BCCI chief and he played a total of 99 matches in international cricket for India, in which he took 124 wickets. Apart from this, he also scored 1459 runs. 

On the other hand, Stuart's career was not very long. He played a total of 23 matches in international cricket for India.

Lala Amarnath (Father) and Mohinder Amarnath Surinder Amarnath (Son)

Lala Amarnath played 24 Test matches between 1933 and 1952, he also played 186 first class matches. His two sons Mohinder Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath also became cricketers. 

Mohinder played 69 Tests and 85 ODIs. Surinder played 10 Tests and 3 ODIs. Mohinder Amarnath was the hero of the 1983 World Cup victory and was considered one of the best pace bowling batsmen of his time. Surinder Amarnath had made a record of scoring a century in his first Test.

Sunil Gavaskar (Father) and Rohan Gavaskar (Son)

Both Sunil Gavaskar and his son Rohan Gavaskar have played international cricket for India. Gavaskar is considered India's greatest batsman. He is the first player to reach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. He played a total of 233 international matches for India. 

On the other hand, his son Rohan could play only 11 ODI matches for India.

Also Read: Best Indian Sports Biopics of All Time

Yograj Singh (Father) and Yuvraj Singh (Son)

Both Yuvraj Singh and his father Yograj Singh have played international cricket for India. Yograj Singh's career was not very long. He played only 1 Test and 6 ODI matches for India. In both formats, he scored a total of only 11 runs.

On the other hand, Yograj Singh's son Yuvraj Singh has been a famous all-rounder. He played a total of 402 matches in international cricket for India, in which he scored 11778 runs. During this, he also took 148 wickets. 

Yuvi performed brilliantly in the ODI World Cup 2011 and scored 362 runs. Apart from this, he also took 15 wickets. Due to this, he received the Player of the Tournament award.

Despite a great fight on the last day at Lord's, India suffered a heartbreak defeat by 22 runs in the third Test against England. Along with this, the discussion has intensified about the batting order of the team, especially the batting at number 3.

After the defeat at Lord's, the Indian men’s cricket team would like to come up with a big show in the fourth Test to level the series. The fourth red-ball match of the ongoing ENG vs IND five-match series will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23 to 27. For the match at Old Trafford, Indian team management could make multiple changes to the playing XI.

Also Read: England penalised two WTC points for slow over-rate in Lord’s Test

Sudharsan may replace Karun Nair

Karun Nair looked solid whenever he was on the pitch in the 6 innings so far. But he could never take his innings beyond 50. Nair scored 0, 20, 31, 26, 40 and 14 runs in the 6 innings so far. During this time, he got out unlucky many times. But it is possible that the team management may now plan to try talented and young cricketer Sai Sudharsan in his place.

23-year-old Sai Sudharsan from Chennai got a chance to debut in the ENG vs IND Leeds Test. But the first opportunity slipped from his hands like sand from his fist. He played innings of 0 and 30 runs in Leeds. The team lost the Test and he was also dropped from the playing XI.

Kuldeep can make a return

Discussions have once again intensified about the inclusion of 30-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken 56 wickets in 13 Tests, in the playing XI. This tour could prove to be a good opportunity to include Kuldeep in the team.

Bumrah and Rishabh Pant out

Before the start of the series, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Shubman Gill, and even Bumrah himself confirmed that he will play only three matches in England, and since the pacer has already featured in two matches out of three played so far, there is a high possibility that he will miss the game in Manchester to return for the final fixture at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4.

In addition to Bumrah, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant could also miss the match in Manchester. Pant suffered a finger injury during the first day’s play of the Lord’s Test, and as a result, he didn’t keep after 34 overs in the first innings. There is still no clarity over Pant’s injury. If he misses out, then Dhruv Jurel will replace him in the playing XI.

The 24-year-old stumper from Agra impressed with his glovework during the third Test, and he has amassed a total of 202 runs in six innings of four Tests played so far. Jurel’s best score in Test cricket is 90, which he registered against the English team in Ranchi last year.

Akash Deep likely retain Bumrah's place

Akash Deep could only manage to take one wicket in the third Test, but if Bumrah misses out due to workload management, then he is likely to retain his place.

Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav are the other four bowlers in India’s Test squad for the England series, and for the game at Old Trafford, Arshdeep could come in for Bumrah. Arshdeep is a left-arm pacer, and his inclusion will bring variety to India’s bowling attack.

Also Read: "Find this ridiculous": Stuart Broad slams ICC's call on Siraj, while Gill's behaviour goes unpunished

India’s predicted playing XI for the ENG vs IND 4th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.

West Indies just registered their lowest test score in their history after registering only 27 in the fourth innings of the third West Indies vs Australia test in Kingston. While chasing only 204 in the last inning of the test match, West Indies were bundled out for 27 after Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland ran through them. 

For the West Indies, only Justin Greaves could reach the double-figure (11) mark. 7 of 11 batters of the West Indies team were dismissed for ducks.

Australia started the inning on a fiery note, with Mitchell Starc taking three wickets in the first over. He then went on to break the record for the fastest five-wicket haul in a test inning as he reached the landmark in just 15 balls. West Indies once were 6 for 11, but a small partnership from Alzarri Joseph and Justin Greaves helped them reach 26.

But from 26/6, Scott Boland took a hat-trick to reduce them to 26/9. Mitchell Starc then wrapped up the inning with his sixth wicket as he finished with a bowling figure of 7.3-4-9-6. 

What is the lowest test score in history?

New Zealand in 1955 registered the lowest test score in history when they were bundled for only 26 in the third inning against Australia in Auckland. Bert Sutcliffe could only reach the double-figure mark (11) for the Kiwis. 

Frank Tyson started the attack for Australia, taking the first two wickets. But it was Brian Statham and Bob Appleyard who finished the job for the team from down under. Statham returned with 9-3-9-3 while Appleyard had the bowling figure of 6-3-7-4. 

Although New Zealand had played 27 overs to score those 26 runs. They lost the test match by an innings and 20 runs.

10 lowest test scores in test cricket

Along with New Zealand in 1995 and the West Indies in 2025, South Africa features in the top five of the lowest test scores in test cricket. 

In 1896, South Africa were bundled for 30 against England in Gqeberha, which was the lowest test score for nearly 59 years.

South Africa again matched their record when England bowled them out for 30 again, this time in Birmingham in 1924. In 1899 and 1932, South Africa registered 35 and 36, respectively, against England and Australia.

Then comes India's 36 all-out against Australia in 2020 in Adelaide. India comes on the list again with their 42 against England in 1974 at Lord's. 

However, before all of these, Australia had the record for the lowest test score, before New Zealand broke the record. In 1888, Australia were bundled out for 42 against England at their own turf in Sydney. 

On his 100th test, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc created a record which would be very hard to break in future. During the second innings of the pink-ball test between West Indies and Australia in Kingston, Starc registered his 16th five-wicket haul in test cricket in just 15 balls. 

In doing that, he broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket history, breaking Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland's previous record of 19 balls.

Starc's record-breaking five-wicket haul in 15 balls

Here is how Mitchell Starc broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul in test cricket history.

1st wicket: 1st ball - John Campbell

Starc dismissed John Campbell with a beautiful outswinger in the first ball of the second inning. The ball moved a bit, and it was enough to produce an edge to substitute wicket-keeper Josh Inglish.

2nd wicket: 5th ball - Kevlon Anderson

In the fifth ball of the first over, Kevlon Anderson left a delivery from Starc, who was able to make the ball come in sharply. The ball hit the pad, and the umpire was not hesitant to rule him out, as Kevlon Anderson did not offer any shot. Although he took the DRS, only to be proven wrong by the review. 

3rd wicket: 6th ball - Brandon King

It was a typical Mitchell Starc dismissal. Brandon King was bamboozled by a big inswinging delivery from Starc.

King went for a big drive through the long off region, but the ball came back sharply to go through his bat and pad and took an inside edge before hitting the stumps. 

Starc had three wickets in his and Australia's first over. 

Read Also | West Indies vs Australia: West Indies register second lowest test score in an inning by a team

4th wicket: 13th ball - Mikyle Louis

Although West Indies batters were able to play out Starc's second over, the left-arm pacer struck in the first ball of his third over. 

Another big inswinging delivery at 142.4 kmph, and Mikyle Louis did not have any answer to that. Louis lounged into a big defence, but the ball came back in sharply and went on to hit the front of his back pad, in front of the middle. 

The right-handed batter did not even wait for the umpire's decision and started walking back.

That was Starc's 400th test wicket. He is only the second left-arm pacer ever to take 400 test wickets. Only Wasim Akram is ahead of him at the moment with 419 test wickets.

5th wicket: 15th ball - Shai Hope

Two balls later, Starc got Shai Hope out with the same formula. 

Hope did not know which way the ball was going and had his weight on the back foot. He was late before the inswinger hit his front pad.

Hope went for the DRS, only to know that the ball was crushing the middle of leg stump. 

After the 15th ball, Starc's bowling figure showed 2.3-2-2-5. 

Fastest five-wicket hauls (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket

Indian batters have showcased an impressive six-hitting record in the history of test cricket, etching their names among the big hitters around the world. It represents not just power, but a fearless approach in the longest format.

Some of India's most celebrated cricketers have taken this record for most sixes in tests to another level, having smashed an unparalleled number of sixes. Focusing on the current standings, Rishabh Pant is the one name growing rapidly to the top, surpassing Dhoni's record.

Find out who hit the most sixes for India in tests, and how close Pant is to claiming the top spot.

Read Also: Most sixes in a Test innings

Most sixes for India in Tests

1. Virender Sehwag | 90 sixes

The former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag, has hit the most sixes for India in tests. His six-hitting approach was defined by a dominant mindset, where he would take on a bowler in the very first over if he wanted.

Sehwag smashed 90 sixes for India in test format, spanning from 2001 to 2013. This came across 103 test matches (178 innings) and has been unmatched over a decade.

2. Rishabh Pant | 88 sixes

Rishabh Pant has rapidly climbed up in the elite list of six-hitters, recently levelling up Rohit Sharma's numbers with 88 sixes in tests. He also became the player with most sixes (36 sixes) against England in tests, surpassing Viv Richards' record.

Pant's immense power and confidence in the format is really exciting to watch. He is only 3 big hits away from surpassing Sehwag and becoming the player with most sixes for India in tests.

He reached to this spot in just 46 matches (80 innings), which shows how he is capable of taking this record to the highest level with his one-handed flicks, aggressive sweeps, and powerful pulls.

Read Also: Indian players to record two hundreds in a Test match

3. Rohit Sharma | 88 sixes

Rohit Sharma put an end to his test career with an astounding 88 sixes for India in 67 matches (116 innings). From his test debut as a middle-order batsman to transitioning into one of the best test openers for India, he kept his big-hitting prowess alive throughout.

Sharma's ability to read lengths early and deliver the ball effortlessly to the stands was phenomenal. Given that he holds the record for the most international sixes across all formats, his position within his nation's top 5 in Test cricket is certainly not a surprise.

Read Also: Who can break Rohit’s six-hitting record?

4. MS Dhoni | 78 sixes

MS Dhoni holds the 4th spot for most sixes for India in tests, having 78 sixes across 90 matches (144 innings). Renowned for his "helicopter shot," which delivered the ball soaring over long-on or mid-wicket, his strength lay in his powerful forearms and lower body.

Dhoni often converted decent deliveries into maximums, in order to shift the pressure at crucial times for India.

5. Ravindra Jadeja | 73 sixes

Being the only all-rounder in the list of most sixes for India in tests, Ravindra Jadeja, with 73 sixes to his name, needs to be given the appreciation he truly deserves. He achieved those numbers in only 83 matches (123 innings).

Jadeja is the second player, after Pant, to have an ongoing test career among the Top 5, which indicates his potential to surpass Dhoni's record. Considering his current pace, the day he breaks records and climbs higher on the list doesn't seem far off.

Read Also: Latest ICC Test player rankings update: Featuring new No.1 and Shubman Gill's historic Top 10 debut

Most Sixes for India in Tests (Top 20)