Why is 20 June a special day for Indian cricket?:Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and their ‘Test cricket’ connection to this date

June 20 remains a very special day in Indian cricket. Uniquely enough, the date links three among the most popular names to have played for the Indian national team- Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. Ganguly and Dravid were two of the most integral parts of the Indian cricket team in the 2000s and have been part of many Indian victories, not just in bilaterals but also in major competitions. Kohli on the other hand, has been the face of Indian cricket for over 15 years and has established himself as a modern-day great. Why is 20 June special and how does it connect Kohli, Dravid and Ganguly? The answer to this is pretty simple. It was on his very day that all three of these legendary names made their debuts in Test cricket. For Dravid and Ganguly, their debuts came on the very same day- 20 June, 1996 against England. It was at the iconic Lord’s cricket ground in London when a young Ganguly had walked out to bat at number three. The left-hander made an immediate impact on debut, batting for 301 deliveries and scoring 131 runs, hitting 20 fours. Dravid on the other hand also impressed big time with 95 runs to his name off 267 balls, showing the early signs of why he would go on to be known as ‘The Wall’, a tribute to his rock-solid defense. 15 years later, another titan stepped foot onto the test area. Kohli was India’s number five in the first Test against the West Indies in Kingston. But his debut was unimpressive, as he could score just four runs off 10 balls, with just one boundary to his name. All three cricketers played more than 100 Tests Another similarity between these players? All three of them went on to feature in more than 100 Test matches and adding value to the longest format of the game in their own way. Ganguly played 113 Tests, scoring 7212 runs with 35 fifties and 16 hundreds and his leadership skills later on would go on to define the next generation of Indian cricket. Dravid played 164 matches and scored 13288 runs, with 63 fifties and 36 centuries. Out of these three players, Dravid scored the most runs in Tests and his steely determination would see him become one of the best batters against the red ball and an example for countless across the globe. Kohli on his part, featured in 123 Test matches where he scored 9230 runs with 31 fifties and 30 hundreds. Last year, Kohli shocked the world when he decided to retire from Test cricket, a format he has always advocated for. Kohli became a brand ambassador for Test cricket, inspiring many to pursue the purest form of the game. Adding to that, his captaincy skills drew widespread recognition and they helped India achieve historic victories in overseas conditions. Under Kohli’s captaincy, India won a Test series in Australia for the first time in 2019.