The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Engrossing battles, exciting results

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Saturday, Oct 02, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Engrossing battles, exciting results

By Sanjay Rajan

TESTING TIME: Visiting teams have to battle the conditions if they aim to do well in India. Here, Dean Jones (centre) throws up due to heat and exhaustion during his double-century knock in the 1986 `tied' Test in Chennai.

Kolkata 2001 wasn't just another Test match. It was historic — a classic turnaround from the brink of defeat that not only ended the 16-match winning streak of Steve Waugh's Indomitables, but changed the face of Indian cricket as well.

It was, undoubtedly, the most memorable India-Australia Test played on Indian soil; some even consider it the greatest-ever involving India. We'll reserve that for another day.

There have also been many other tough battles involving India and Australia over the years. The two have met in 64 Tests — 32 of them in India, where the record is even: 10 victories each, 11 drawn games and one tie.

The second tied Test in history in the '86-87 series between the two countries developed into a high-scoring encounter all of a sudden. After being outplayed by Australia for three days and just managing to avoid the follow-on, India sensed victory due to a sporting declaration by Allan Border in the second innings.

Sporting declaration

Australia declared its first innings at 574 for seven early on the third day, thanks to Dean Jones' heroic 210 and centuries by David Boon and Border. Kapil Dev's magnificent hundred and half-centuries by K. Srikkanth, Mohd. Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri saw the host reach 397 and make the visitor bat again.

Border's men compiled 170 for five on the fourth day, which was marked by verbal abuses between the players and arguments with the umpires. The tension spilled on to the final day.

Chasing 348 for victory, India was sitting pretty at 251 for three when Azharuddin and Kapil were dismissed in quick succession, and Australia stormed right back into contention.

India was within 17 runs of victory with four wickets in hand when Ray Bright snared three wickets. India's No. 11 Maninder Singh strode to the crease with four runs needed off the last over from off-spinner Greg Matthews. Shastri managed a two and a single to level the scores.

Maninder had three balls to score the winning run, but was trapped leg-before off the penultimate ball. It was Matthews' 31st over on the trot, and the bowler finished with match figures of 10 for 249.

A humdinger

Apart from the tied Test, Chennai has witnessed many keen battles between the two sides. The third and final Test of the 2001 series was also a humdinger. Matthew Hayden went after Harbhajan Singh and the other Indian bowlers to make a double hundred in the first innings (Steve Waugh was out in bizarre fashion: handling the ball), but Sachin Tendulkar's century provided the host the edge.

The `Turbanator' returned an eight-wicket haul in the second innings (15 in the match) to set up a modest victory target for the home side. Laxman — the scourge of the Aussies — was in his element again. The gritty Australians fought till the end but India was home by two wickets.

The fifth and final Test of the '69-70 series (Australia's last series victory in India) in Chennai was also a close one, made memorable by off-spinner Ashley Mallet's five-wicket effort in each innings in spinner-friendly conditions.

India faced a modest target of 249, but Mallet — who finished the series with a tally of 28 wickets — triggered a collapse from which India never recovered.

The third and final Test of the '97-98 series in Bangalore saw Australia pull one back magnificently, despite Tendulkar scoring a brilliant 177 in the first innings. Mark Waugh made a superb unbeaten 153 in the first innings and skipper Mark Taylor an undefeated 102 in the second after medium-pacer Michael Kasprowicz bowled out India cheaply for 169 in the second essay.

Spinners hold sway

The Bombay Test of the '64-65 series was also fought tooth and nail. India scampered home by two wickets to level the three-match contest. The Test belonged to the enigmatic leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, who claimed four wickets in each innings. Australia was a batsman down with Norman O'Neill suffering from a viral ailment.

The Kanpur Test (1959-60 series) was also exciting. Off-spinner Jasu Patel exploited a `sticky' wicket to claim nine wickets in the first innings and five in the second, as India emerged victorious.

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