Laxman, Gambhir set Kotla ablaze with records

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) V.V.S. Laxman and Gautam Gambhir made it a memorable day for India at Feroz Shah Kotla here as they created cricketing history, becoming the first pair in world cricket to score double centuries in an innings against World Champions Australia.

Gambhir (206) and Laxman (200 not out) in their massive 278-run stand rewrote many records on the second day of the third cricket Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Laxman and Gambhir are the first Indians to score double centuries in an innings, though three times India were at the receving end of batsmen scoring double centuries in an innings,

Overall, they are the 14th pair in world cricket to reach the landmark.

The pair, with their 278-run stand, also topped the partnership record at India's favourite hunting ground Kotla. They broke the 50-year-old record of West Indians Clyde Walcott and Gerry Gomez, eclipsing their 267 runs in the first Test played here in 1948.

This was Laxman's second double century, both having come against Australia, the first was the epic 281 at Eden Gardens in 2001-02. He also become the second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar to score 2000 run against Australia. Four of his five top scores are against the WOrld Champions.

For Gautam Gambhir, it was his maiden double century and came at his home ground.

Statistics

(Two double centuries in the same Test innings:)

S.No. Batsmen For Opponents Venue Season

1. W.H.Ponsford (266) & D.G.Bradman (244) Australia England The Oval 1934.

2. S.G.Barnes (234) & D.G.Bradman (234) Australia England Sydney 1946-47

3. C.C.Hunte (260) & G.St.A.Sobers (365*) W.Indies Pakistan Kingston 1957-58

4. W.M.Lawry (210) & R.B.Simpson (201) Australia W.Indies Bridgetown 1964-65

5. Mudassar Nazar (231) & Javed Miandad(280*)Pakistan India Hyderabad 1982-83

6. G.Flower (201) & M.W.Gatting (207) England India Madras 1984-85

7. Qasim Omar (206) & Javed Miandad (203*) Pakistan S.Lanka Faisalabad 1985-86

8. S.T.Jayasuriya (340) & R,S.Mahanama (225)S.Lanka India Colombo,RPS1997-98

9. Ijaz Ahmed (211) & Inzamam-ul-Haq (200*) Pakistan S.Lanka Dhaka 1998-99

10.M.S.Atapattu (249) & K.C.Sangakkara(270) S.Lanka Zimbabwe Bulawayo 2003-04

11,W.Hinds (213) & S.C.Chanderpaul (203*) W.Indies S.Africa

Georgetown 2004-05

12.K.C.Sangakkara (287) & DPM Jayawardene(374)S.Lanka S.Africa Colombo,SSC 2006

13.N.D.McKenzie (226) & G.C.Smith (232) S.Africa Bangladesh Chittagong 2007-08

14.G.Gambhir (206) & VVS Laxman (200*) India Australia Delhi 2008-09