India vs England Test Flashback: When Ian Botham eclipsed India after a Solar eclipse

England featured in the one-off Test match in India in 1980 on their way home after completing their tour of 1979/80 in Australia. The match was arranged to mark the Golden Jubilee of the BCCI. The game that began on February 15 was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with a rest day slated on the 4th day of the game. India elected to bat first after winning the toss against England, who were fresh from a 3-0 defeat in the 3-match Test series in Australia.

Four out of India’s top six batsmen got starts including three players who scored the 30s. But none of them went on to score big as the Indians succumbed to a moderate total of 242 on the first day of the Test. Ian Botham was the key destructor as he bagged a six-wicket haul. The all-rounder took 6/58 in the 22.5 overs he bowled. Wicketkeeper Rob Taylor pocketed seven catches during India’s first innings to become the only keeper to take seven catches in a Test innings after Wasim Bari.

The game had an unusual rest day on what should have been the 2nd day of the Test instead of the 4th day. The reason was a full Solar eclipse which was supposed to be observed on February 16. The BCCI did not want the 50,000 spectators to damage their eyes by looking into the sun. The Solar eclipse was going to be the first full eclipse in the 20th century witnessed in the country. The full Solar eclipse was observed in Southern parts of India while an 87% eclipse was observed in Mumbai.

Botham eclipses India:

The game resumed on Sunday after an eclipse break and England were reduced to 58/5. Once again it was Ian Botham who came to the team’s rescue as he raced up a quick-fire hundred. Botham scored 114 in only 144 balls with 17 fours sharing a 171-run stand for the 6th wicket with Bob Taylor who scored 43. The lower-order pushed England’s total to 296 and they took a handy 54-run first innings lead despite Karsan Ghavri’s 5-wicket haul.

England was all about Ian Botham during the game as he starred in the 2nd innings with a 7-wicket haul. He took 7/48 in the 26 over to dismiss the hosts for 149 runs in the 2nd innings. Thus, Botham became the first man in the history of Test cricket to score a century and take 10+ wickets in the same game. Graham Gooch and Geoff Boycott chased down the 96-run target set by Team India without losing a wicket on the 4th day.

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