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| Sunday, 21 August 2005 |
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Indian umpire Raju signalled Maninder Singh LBW in second "tied" Test by A.C. De Silva Cricket is considered to be a game of glorious uncertainties which makes the game so lively and interesting to watch. Australia in the past, has been a dominating force in the game. Though the present Australian Test team out there in England right now has not been performing to expectations, the Aussies' reputation as a powerful force in the past cannot easily be forgotten. The Aussies have performed well in both versions of the game, but it was Test cricket that occupied everyone's mind in the early days. The Australians have figured in many interesting encounters in their long association with the game and it is they who have figured in the two "tied" Tests so far in the history of Test cricket. The first of the two thrilling matches came over 44 years ago on 14th December, 1960 in Brisbane, where the West Indies were the visitors. Australia finally had to make 233 runs to win in 310 minutes and their last pair of batsmen were at the wicket. The last wicket fell for the seventh ball of the final over (in those days, Test matches played in Australia had eight-ball overs). It was a run-out. There was confusion all over the ground and finally the scores were found to be level. It was declared a "tied" Test. Then 38 years later - September 22, 1998 saw the second such match in the long history of the game. It was Chennai in India and here again the Australians figured with India being their opponents. There were no international umpires those days as at present and the home team umpires "stood" in the Tests. Vikram Raju was a Indian and a much respected man among umpires who had the conviction, courage and, above all, sense of honesty to declare the last batsman, Maninder Singh, leg before to Greg Matthews with only one ball remaining. His decision led to the India-Australia "Test" ending in a "tie." If the first "tie" provided a tremendous boost to five-day version of cricket, the second "Tied" Test cooled the tempers down to a great extent. It was in a way, poetic justice that the match ended in a "tie" in which both sides were the winners. Too hot It was a surprise that the match, a five-day at that, was played in Chennai in September as it is too hot at that time of the year to play cricket and it was somewhat of a wonder that the Australians agreed to play. It was a full fledged "oven." The locals accustomed to living there, were burning within and outside despite being under covers. Dean Jones, now a golf addict, chose Chepauk and Chennai to display his skill and prowess. He went on to produce one of the finest innings of his cricket career. He scored 210 in team's total of 574 for 7 wickets declared. Brave knock Jones was dehydrated because of the excessive heat and humidity. Despite vomiting regularly, he executed some strokes which spoke highly of his batsmanship. He often received first-aid and consumed soft drinks during intervals. When he was eventually dismissed, he was hardly able to walk. When after receiving the accolades of the team when he came to the pavilion, he was rushed to hospital where he was straightaway put on "saline drip." For the home team, Kapil Dev notched up a century, Srikanth (53) and Ravi Shastri (62) and India managed to get to 397. Comfortably placed with a lead of 177, Australia declared at 170 for 5 wickets leaving India 348 to make in a day's play. India accepted the challenge. Gavaskar hammered 90 and Azharuddin 42. When they were together, there was more than a flickering of hope for India to make the runs. But when they left, the collapse came, though Shastri had some robust shots, but the wickets too fell. In came last man Maninder Singh with 4 runs to get for victory. Shastri had two. He should have retained the strike, but he did not. He took a single, which meant that India would not lose the Test. Many thought it was not a very wise strategy. Maninder Singh was now left to face Matthews. With the fielders clustering around Maninder Singh's bat, Matthews bowled. The ball hit Maninder Singh's outstretched pads. A vociferous appeal rent the air and up went Indian umpire Vikram Raju's finger. The match ended in a "tie." There are many interesting anecdotes regarding the game of cricket. It is said that only one of the 1,051 Test matches played upto the end of the 1986 season, has been won off the last possible ball. At Kingsmead in Durban on 20th December, 1948, England's ninth-wicket pair - Alec Bedser and Cliff Gladwin, needed eight runs from the final eight-ball over from Lindsay Tucket. Before Bedser brought the scores level off the sixth ball, all four results were possible. Gladwin missed the seventh ball. He also missed the last ball. It bounced off his thigh and the batsmen managed to scamper a leg-bye. Meanwhile the highest number of runs by a team in a day in Test cricket is 503 scored by England on the second day of the Lord's Test against South Africa on June 30th, 1924. When Arthur Gilligan declared the innings closed 66 minutes before stumps were drawn, Hobbs (whose 211 equalled the highest Test innings in England at that time), Sutcliffe, Woolley and Hendran had attained an average scoring rate of 93 runs per hour while losing only two wickets. Bizarre record Then the least number of runs scored in a full day of Test cricket is 95. This bizarre record was established on the matting pitch of the National Stadium in Karachi on October 11th 1956 - the first day of Test cricket between Pakistan and Australia. After a strenuous and unsuccessful tour of England's grass pitches, Australia's batsmen had been allowed no preliminary match practice in the different conditions. Shortly after tea, they were all out for 80, the lowest total in Karachi Tests. It was compiled in 53.1 overs bowled by Fazal Mahmood (6 for 34) and Khan Mohammad (4 for 43). This remains the only post-war instance of two bowlers operating unchanged throughout a completed Test innings. By the close, Pakistan had reached 15 for 2 wickets. It is also interesting to know that the highest number of wickets to fall in a day of Test cricket is 27 on 17th July 1988. The wicket of W. G. Grace, the champion cricketer of the day - some would argue of all time - featured twice in that incredible tally. The record was set on a farcically different mud pitch at Lord's on the second day of the First Test against Australia. At the start of play, England were 18 for 3 in reply to Australia's 116 all out. In under an hour they had lost their remaining seven wickets for 35 runs. Australia, at one stage 18 for 7 wickets, totalled 60 and set England 124 runs to win. By 4.25 p.m. they had bowled out England for 62 and were being heartily cheered by thousands of spectators massed in front of the pavilion. Grace, the only England batsman to reach double figures in both innings, recorded the highest score of the match: 24. In just over 3 hours of actual play, 27 wickets had fallen for 157 runs. No team, be it Test or otherwise, likes to be dismissed twice in a day. But that did happen at Old Trafford, Manchester on July 19th 1952 when India were shot out for 58 and 82 by England. The total batting time of India was 3 hours 45 minutes. That particular day, 22 wickets fell in the day. Only eight uninterrupted days of Test cricket have failed to produce the fall of a wicket, five of them have occurred in the West Indies, one in Australia, one in India, one in Sri Lanka and none in England. Sobers, Worrell - stars Batting has been and will continue to be the star attraction in a cricket match, especially in Test cricket and it brings back happy memories of West Indies dominance when one recalls the 1960 era. The only pair of batsmen to bat throughout two consecutive days of Test cricket are: Garfield Sobers (226) and Frank Worrell (197 not out) on January 9 and 11 in 1960 - the fourth and fifth days of the First Test between West Indies and England at Kensington Oval, in Bridgetown, Barbados. The final hour of the fourth day was lost to rain and a rest day intervened. The fourth-wicket partnership of 399 runs occupied 9 hours 39 minutes - the longest stand in Test cricket. Then the highest individual aggregate in a Test match is 380 runs by the present cricket coach of India Greg Chappell, who scored 247 not out and 133 for Australia against New Zealand at Wellington from 1 to 6 March 1974. Asia gets into top billing here as Javed Miandad of Pakistan became the youngest to score a double century in Test cricket. He was 19 years, 141 days old (unconfirmed) when he completed his innings of 206 for Pakistan against New Zealand at Karachi on 31st October 1976. Gary Sobers was only 21 years 216 days old when he reached 300 during his
world record of 365 not out for West Indies against Pakistan at Kingston,
Jamaica on March 1 in 1958 and established himself as the youngest triple
century-maker in Test cricket. It was his first three-figure score for West
Indies. |
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