I had to do this...

I do not know when Rahul Dravid scored his first century. Or where Bai hit those three centuries in a row on debut. Or even who RR Singh is. I am a big fan though. And when Ravi Shastri grandly announced that the ODI at Durban was the most spineless batting display he had ever seen, my nostrils flared.

It really got my goat that minus that instinctive reaction I had nothing else on Shastri. So I looked around.

India’s string of lowest ODI totals runs as follows: 54, 63, 78, 79, 91, 100, 100, 108, 108, 112 and 113.

In that happy little list is a game against a pre-Sanath Sri Lanka where, chasing a total of 195, Kapil’s Devils crashed to a humiliating 78 all out in just 24.4 overs. In spite of a fighting 8 of 11 balls by, you guessed it, Ravi Shastri. Oh, and this was not in one of those fast, bouncy, we’re-not-used-this type of pitches. It was in Kanpur - a ground where the Indian team holds the record for highest ODI total. In fact it was on that dull lifeless wicket that Azharuddin hit the third of those three consecutive centuries. Cricinfo rocks.

My nostrils are good enough for me but for those of you who are into number talk, I hope this bit of trivia helps.

Peace.