The 1982 England cricket team tour of India was a tale of redemption and unfortunate injury. After suffering defeats in both Tests and ODIs during their initial tour, England found themselves facing a chance to seek revenge in a return series. The first Test at Lord’s saw England emerge victorious, fueled by the pace bowling mastery of captain Bob Willis and the all-round brilliance of Ian Botham. Despite a century from Dilip Vengsarkar, India couldn’t withstand the English onslaught.
The second Test in Manchester saw a high-scoring draw, with rain unfortunately curtailing the match. However, the third Test at the Oval became a turning point in the series. In a display of incredible form, Ian Botham shattered records by scoring the fastest double century in Test history, achieving the milestone in a mere 220 balls. The match also witnessed a blistering innings from Kapil Dev, who scored 97 runs off just 93 balls, but ultimately ended in a draw.
While Botham’s performance was a testament to his skill and determination, it was tragically overshadowed by an unfortunate incident that left a lasting impact. During the Oval Test, in a moment of ferocious batting, Botham struck a powerful drive off Ravi Shastri, the ball tragically striking the left leg of Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was fielding at silly point. The impact resulted in a broken tibia above Gavaskar’s left ankle, forcing him to leave the field immediately.
Despite the severity of the injury, Botham expressed his remorse, saying, “I knew I’d hit it hard. I’m sorry to have put Sunny out of the Test.” England ultimately triumphed in the series, securing a 1-0 victory, with Botham’s dominant performance overshadowing the unfortunate incident that left Gavaskar sidelined.
