Ganguly and Blewett out for 99

An unusual and unique moment of cricket history took place between 0551 and 0553 GMT on Friday, November 28, 1997 when two Test batsman were dismissed for 99 within a few minutes of each other in different parts of the world.

Saurav Ganguly was dismissed for 99 while batting for India in the Second Test against Sri Lanka at Nagpur, while approximately two minutes later Greg Blewett was dismissed for the same total in Australia's first innings of the Third Test against New Zealand at Hobart.

The following log of the live CricInfo commentaries of both Tests, as relayed on the IRC channel #cricket, captures this remarkable sequence of events. This extract commences with Blewett 95 not out in Hobart, while at the same time Ganguly is 98 not out at Nagpur:

(Aus-NZ) 87.5 Doull to Blewett, FOUR, short ball pulled to the fence

(Ind-SL) 153.1 Jayasuriya to Ganguly, no run, outside the legs, attempted sweep, misses. way down the legs

(Aus-NZ) 87.6 Doull to Blewett, no run, props forward. no run

(Aus-NZ) End of over 88 (4 runs) Australia 238/1

(Aus-NZ) Doull 20-7-55-0

(Aus-NZ) GS Blewett 99* (207b 13x4) MTG Elliott 114* (265b 9x4)

(Ind-SL) 153.2 Jayasuriya to Ganguly, no run, swepps nicely, straight to short fineleg

(Ind-SL) 153.3 Jayasuriya to Ganguly, no run, swept to short fineleg

(Aus-NZ) McMillan on!

(Ind-SL) 153.4 Jayasuriya to Ganguly, no run, down the legs again, misses a heave

(Aus-NZ) McMillan for some strange reason

(Aus-NZ) 88.1 McMillan to Elliott, no run, rnus away off edge to cover

(Ind-SL) 153.5 Jayasuriya to Ganguly, one run, played to long on

(Aus-NZ) 88.2 McMillan to Elliott, OUT: props forward. runs off the edge to slip

(Aus-NZ) Australia 238/2, Partnership of 197

(Aus-NZ) MTG Elliott c Young b McMilla 114 (267) 9 x 4

(Aus-NZ) McMillan 6.2-1-15-1

(Aus-NZ) Young juggled it a little but did manage it

(Ind-SL) 153.6 Jayasuriya to Chauhan, OUT: down the track, lofted straight to long on

(Ind-SL) India 484/8, Partnership of 8

(Ind-SL) RK Chauhan c Vaas b Jayasur 1 ( 13)

(Ind-SL) End of over 154 (1 runs) India 484/8

(Ind-SL) Jayasuriya 16-4-32-2

(Ind-SL) RK Chauhan 1* (12b) SC Ganguly 99* (187b 13x4)

(Aus-NZ) 88.3 McMillan to ME Waugh, no run, short lots of effort in it, ut it barely reaches chest high

(Aus-NZ) 88.4 McMillan to ME Waugh, no run, defends with the full face

(Aus-NZ) 88.5 McMillan to ME Waugh, no run, props forward defensively

(Ind-SL) 154.1 Pushpakumara to Ganguly, OUT: outside the off, edged, caught at second slip. the lo

(Ind-SL) India 484/9, Partnership of 0

(Ind-SL) SC Ganguly c Tillaka b Pushpa 99 (188) 13 x 4

(Ind-SL) Pushpakumara 31.1-3-121-4 (6nb)

(Aus-NZ) 88.6 McMillan to ME Waugh, no run, propsforward in defense again

(Aus-NZ) End of over 89 (0 runs) Australia 238/2

(Aus-NZ) McMillan 7-2-15-1

(Aus-NZ) GS Blewett 99* (207b 13x4) ME Waugh 0* (4b)

(Ind-SL) the lone slip, standing in a vague position and the ball reaches him

(Aus-NZ) 89.1 Doull to Blewett, OUT: inside edge onto the stumps!

(Aus-NZ) Australia 238/3, Partnership of 0

(Aus-NZ) GS Blewett b Doull 99 (208) 13 x 4

(Aus-NZ) Doull 20.1-7-55-1