ONCE UPON A TIME IN BANGALORE

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue – M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore [December 8-12, 2007].

The Radcliffe Line Rivalry brings in a lot of emotions. After all, an India-Pakistan match is not just about cricket. It is bigger than that. As a result, each and every game goes into the history books. This blog will be talking about one such episode of the India-Pakistan cricket. The year goes back to 2007. Indians were facing Pakistanis in Bengaluru for the third and final test of the series. The hosts were 1-0 up in the series, and a draw would have ensured a series win. For the visitors it was a must-win game in order to level the series.

Legendary Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni were not playing the test. However, the man who came in his place was none other than Yuvraj Singh [Dinesh Karthik was keeping before the wickets in place of MS Dhoni]. So it was still a strong Indian side. Indian Captain Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. However, debutant Yasir Arafat came out strong, and the Indian top order crumbled before him. The scorecard read 61/4 when Yuvraj Singh joined Sourav Ganguly in the center. The match was on a knife-edge. A couple more wickets and the game would be over for us.

This is when Sourav Ganguly (DADA) took charge and led a counter-attack which would be remembered for ages. The duo of Yuvraj and Dada shared a partnership of 300 runs and brought the hosts back into the game. The pair batted for around 65 overs and took the sting out of the Pakistani bowling attack.

Yuvraj Singh, who was making a comeback to the Test side, made a quickfire 169 off 203 deliveries and made a mess of the visitor's bowling line-up. In an innings which lasted for around 4 hours, Yuvraj smashed a total of 28 boundaries and 1 six. Eventually when he was dismissed for 169, there was a delight on the Pakistani faces. But the carnage didn't stop with Yuvraj's dismissal.

Irfan Pathan scored a gritty 102 and stitched another important partnership with Dada. However, it was Sourav Ganguly who played the innings of his life and got all the attention of the audience. Dada scored a monumental 239 off 361 deliveries, which helped India to post a massive total of 626 in the first innings. The knock was a masterclass. An art of genius. The innings, which lasted for 518 minutes, saw Ganguly hit 28 boundaries and 2 sixes. Apart from the boundaries he scored, there were also singles and doubles which constituted a large chunk of runs in the innings. The audience ran out of superlatives while talking about this innings. For the visitors, debutant Yasir Arafat was the leading wicket taker, as he picked up 5 wickets in the first innings.

In response, the visitors scored 537 in their first innings. Misbah-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten 133 as Indians too struggled to pick wickets. Ishant Sharma was the leading wicket taker for the hosts, as he too picked up 5 wickets in the first innings. It appeared that the match would end in an easy draw, but the hosts tried their best to get a result out of the game.

Firstly, they batted at a good pace in the second innings and declared at a total of 284/6. Ganguly once again took the lead as he scored a solid 91. It was quite unfortunate that he missed his hundred. Apart from him, Dinesh Karthik and Rahul Dravid also made some valuable contributions with the bat, as the visitors were now required to chase 374 runs to win the test.

But the Indian bowling attack this time looked inspired and motivated. Captain Kumble led from the front and made a mess of the Pakistani batting line-up. Had it not been for bad lights, the hosts would have registered yet another win upon their arch-rivals.

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The match eventually ended in a draw, and the Indians won the series 1-0. Sourav Ganguly was awarded both the man of the match and the man of the series awards for his remarkable contribution. Lastly, it turned out to be the last when India and Pakistan faced each other in a test match.

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

To watch the highlights of the test match, Click Here.

To watch the innings of Sourav Ganguly, Click Here.

To watch the innings of Yuvraj Singh, Click Here. 

THE LEGEND OF UNIVERSE BOSS

 

 

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Venue – Galle International Stadium, Galle [November 15-19, 2010].

In November 2010, the West Indies Cricket Team toured Sri Lanka to play 3 Tests and 3 ODIs. A tour in Sri Lanka back then was a tough tour for every visiting side. However, the West Indies is one such side that can do anything on the said day. They are known for producing upsets and miracles. They can beat the strongest of teams but can also lose games which no one expected them to lose.

The first test of the series took place in Galle, wherein West Indian skipper Daren Sammy won the toss and decided to bat first. The pitch looked perfect for batting, and the visitors wanted to capitalise upon the same. But what happened next was something truly unbelievable.

Chris Gayle scored a monumental 333 of 447 deliveries and took his team to a commanding total of 580/9. In an innings which lasted for around 11 hours, he smashed 34 boundaries and 9 massive sixes. It was an absolute delight to watch the Universe Boss in full swing. The Lankan bowlers looked helpless in front of the Windies. Apart from Gayle, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and Brendan Nash scored their fifties as the hosts struggled to bowl them out.

In response the Lankans were bowled out for 378 runs in their first innings. As a result, the Windies had an option to enforce the follow-on, which they decided to do. The hosts were, however, successful in saving the test match, as they battled for 80 overs in the second innings.

Even though the match ended in a draw, this test will forever be remembered for the heroics of Chris Gayle. On a pitch where no other batsman scored a hundred, Universe Boss came out with 333.

 

To watch the innings of Chris Gayle, Click Here.

THE HAMMERING

 

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Venue – Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui [February 4-7, 2024].

In the summer of 2024, the South African cricket team toured New Zealand to play 2 test matches. Unfortunately, the ongoing 2024 SA20 significantly undermined the South African team's strength. Only half of the team's 14 players had ever played a test match at the international level, and none of them were regarded as South Africa's strongest eleven. Hence, the team was made up of second-string and inexperienced players. As a result, the South African Cricket Board faced harsh criticism for its decision to withhold South Africa's top players, which raised questions about the long-term impact on Test cricket's significance.

The first test of the series took place in Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, wherein the Proteas captain Neil Brand won the toss and decided to field first. Interestingly, six Proteas players made their Test debut in this match, including their skipper, Brand. Something which we have not seen before.

The visitors got off to a great start as they dismissed both the openers cheaply. However, the duo of Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson brought the hosts back into the game. Kane Williamson scored a gritty 118 off 289 deliveries and took the sting out of the Proteas attack. However, the man who stole the show was Rachin Ravindra.

Ravindra scored a monumental 240 of 366 deliveries and took his team to a massive total of 511 runs in their first innings. In an innings which lasted for around 9 hours, Ravindra smashed 26 boundaries and 3 massive sixes. For the visitors, Brand was the leading wicket taker, who picked up 6 wickets for 119 runs.

In response, the Proteas were bowled out for just 162 runs in their first innings. Interestingly, no Proteas batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark, whereas we saw the Black Caps mounting loads of runs. To be honest, everyone was expecting that Tim Southee would enforce a follow-on. However, the Kiwis came out to bat again.

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Kane Williamson scored yet another hundred in the match as the hosts declared their innings at a score of 179/4. The visitors needed 529 runs to win the match. It was almost certain that the best thing which the Proteas could do was to save the test. However, the duo of Jamieson and Santner just ripped the South African batting line-up as the Kiwis won the game by a huge margin of 281 runs.

Rachin Ravindra was awarded the man of the match award for his brilliant double hundred, whereas Kane Williamson became the 5th New Zealand batsman to score a Test Ton in both innings.

To watch the highlights of this test, click on the URLs below.

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.

Day 4.

To watch the innings of Rachin Ravindra, Click Here. 

A RANDOM SUNDAY EVENING

 

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Venue – WACA Ground, Perth [January 28, 2007].

The year was 2007, and as a 10-year-old, I returned back home after playing with my friends. However, before I sat for studies, I thought of watching some cricket. So I switched on my television set and went to the sports channel. New Zealand were playing Australia at the WACA. The Aussies batted first that day and piled up a massive total of 343 in 50 overs. Captain Ricky Ponting scored a brilliant 111 off 122 deliveries, whereas Matthew too scored a quickfire 117.  However, the knock for which the author remembers this game is that of Jacob Oram. Oram played one of the best innings of his career that day. Even though the Kiwis lost the game by a very small margin, the knock became an instant classic. 

The Kiwi Scorecard read 150/4 when Oram joined Ross Taylor in the middle. The visitors still need more than 190 runs to win with just 23 overs left in the innings. It looked like the game was well and truly over, and it's just the formalities which remain. However, this is when Oram did something which no one expected of him.

Oram scored a magnificent 101 off just 72 deliveries and took Kiwis closer to the target. At one stage it appeared that he could win it for the Black Caps. Unfortunately, they ended up being 9 runs short of the target. However, the sixes which Oram hit were truly remarkable. The Aussie Pace Attack Back then was legendary (Lee, McGrath, Johnson, and Bracken), but Oram looked possessed that day. He cleared the boundaries with so much ease that it felt that the match was being played in a school ground instead of at WACA.

The innings, which lasted for around 130 minutes, consisted of 4 boundaries and 6 massive sixes. Till the time Oram batted on the crease, the audience could not take their eyes off him. As a 10-year-old, the 101* was something very special. It truly made my evening. Mind you, it was no World Cup match, but a normal round-robin game of a Tri-Series. But nothing seemed normal that day. It was truly magical. A normal Sunday evening became special.

To watch the innings of Jacob Oram, Click Here.

To watch the innings of Matthew Hayden, Click Here. 

THE CLASH OF TITANS

 

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Venue – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai [October 22, 2015].

In the autumn of 2015, the South African cricket team toured India to play 3 T20 Internationals, 5 ODIs and 4 Test Matches. The Proteas won the T20 Series 2-0 and were leading the ODI Series 2-1 at the end of the third one-day match. As a result, the fourth ODI was a must-win game for the hosts to stay alive in the series. Indian Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a hot day in Chennai.

However, the Proteas got off to a great start as they dismissed both the openers cheaply. The Indian scorecard read 35/2 when Rahane joined Kohli in the centre. It was necessary that the duo stitch a big partnership so that the Hosts can make a comeback. But this was not going to be easy. After all, the visitors were bowling with accurate line and length. 

Interestingly, the momentum of a one-day game can change quickly. A couple of wickets brings the bowling side in the game, whereas a couple of big partnerships can tilt the game to the other side as well. And this is exactly what happened that day. Firstly, Virat Kohli shared a 104-run partnership with Rahane, who scored a solid 45. Post his dismissal, Kohli shared a 127-run partnership with Raina, who scored a quickfire 53 and helped India reach a competitive total.

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However, the man who stole the show was none other than Virat Kohli. In this high-pressure game he scored a magnificent 138 off 140 deliveries. His innings comprised 6 boundaries and 5 massive sixes, something which we don't often see in a Virat Kohli innings. But the most interesting part is that Kohli scored 84 of his runs by running between the wickets. Mind you, the weather was tough, and Kohli was battling pain. Despite the adverse circumstances, Kohli played one of the most scintillating knocks of his ODI career. It was only because of his 138 that we managed to give Proteas a competitive target of 300 runs in 50 overs.

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In response, the Proteas got off to a decent start but continued losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Captain AB de Villiers stood strong from his end and scored a brilliant 112 off 107 deliveries and kept the hopes of his team alive. Till the time he was on the crease, it appeared that the visitors could pull off the chase. However, once AB was dismissed, the hopes of a South African run-chase collapsed, and the Indians ended up winning the game by 35 runs.

The series was 2-2 now, and we were all set for a blockbuster in Mumbai.

However, this game will be remembered by the cricket fans for a very long time. After all, we witnessed two of the greatest batsmen of our generation going hammer and tongs.

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here.

To watch the innings of AB de Villiers, Click Here.

To Know about what happened in the Mumbai ODI, Click Here. 

THE LEGEND OF KING KOHLI

 

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Venue – Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai [December 8-12, 2016].

In the winters of 2016-17, the English Cricket Team toured India to play 5 Tests, 3 ODIs and 3 T20 Internationals. At the conclusion of the Third Test, the hosts were leading the series 2-0. Hence, the fourth test was a must-win game for the visitors to stay alive in the series. English Captain Alastair Cook won the toss and decided to bat first.

The pitch in Mumbai was perfect for batting, and the visitors took full advantage of it. Opener Keaton Jennings scored a marvelous 112 on his debut as the English posted a competitive total of 400 in their first innings. Apart from Jennings, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali scored gritty half-centuries as Indians struggled for wickets. It is interesting to note that all 10 wickets in the first innings were picked by the spinners as pacers failed to strike. Ashwin took 6, whereas Jadeja picked 4 crucial wickets.

In response, India got off to a good start as Murali Vijay scored a solid 136 at the top. But, at one stage, both the teams were on the same footing. The Indian scorecard read 364/7 when Jayant Yadav joined Kohli in the middle. The match was on a knife-edge. However, what followed next was something truly unbelievable. Virat Kohli and Jayant Yadav stitched a massive partnership of 241 runs as the hosts ended up scoring 631 runs in their first innings. To everyone's surprise, No. 9 Jayant Yadav scored a remarkable hundred. But the performance which stood out of all was that of the skipper, Virat Kohli.

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Captain Kohli scored a monumental 235 of 340 deliveries and took his team to a commanding position. The innings was a masterclass. The shots he played were marvelous. To be honest, the commentators ran out of superlatives to describe the innings. It was truly one of the best knocks ever played in the Wankhede Stadium. The crowd were up and cheering their skipper as he demolished the opposition completely.

The English were now on the back foot as they were supposed to bat the remaining hours to save the match. However, the duo of Ashwin (6) and Jadeja (2) just ripped the English batting line-up as the visitors were bowled out for 195 runs in their second innings. Apart from Root and Bairstow, no English batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark as the hosts won the test by an innings and 36 runs.

Captain Kohli was awarded the Man of the Match Award for his brilliant double hundred as the Indians took an unassailable lead of 3-0 in the series. 

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

KING KOHLI TO RESCUE

 

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Venue – Centurion Park, Centurion [December 26-29, 2023].

November 26, 2025, will go down as the darkest day for Indian cricket. The reason being we suffered yet another whitewash at home, this time at the hands of the South Africans. However, unlike last year, wherein we gave a strong fight against the Kiwis, this time we just crumbled before the Proteas. 408 runs defeat is a huge margin, and this is definitely going to haunt Indian cricket for long. However, the most unfortunate part was that none of our batsmen were able to score big in a condition wherein the South African batsmen piled up a heap of runs.

But this was not always the case. In the good old days, our batsmen not only scored runs at home but also abroad, and that too in the toughest of conditions. The man who led the pack was none other than King Kohli, who established himself as the backbone of Indian batting. Though Virat Kohli has scored 82 international hundreds, such is his class that even his fifties are remembered by fans all over the world.

One such half-century of his came in Centurion in December 2023, wherein he scored a quickfire 76 off 82 balls amidst seaming conditions. Interestingly, Kohli not just defended the unplayable deliveries but also played his shots. Moreover, the shots he played were truly spectacular. It was a pure masterclass from King Kohli, who looked in his vintage touch.

Unfortunately, Team India in that very innings were bowled out for 131 runs and lost the game by an innings and 32 runs. Interestingly if we remove the innings of Kohli, we will find that the entire team scored just 55 runs. So Kohli rightly saved us from the humiliation of getting bowled out under 100. Yes. We lost the game, but the innings is still cherished by every cricket fan. Afterall, it was one of the finest knocks played under pressure.

Moreover, Kohli continued his form in the next test as well, where he played another gritty knock. Eventually Kohli ended the series as India's highest run getter with a total of 172 runs in 4 innings at an average of 44. Mind you, South Africa is a place which is considered the toughest place to bat, and in that very condition, Kohli averages 49.50. Such has been the greatness of King Kohli.

To be honest, it is going to be tough to find a replacement for Virat Kohli, but we can only hope that the team will rise from the depths of despair. We need to have players who can keep themselves calm in the toughest of situations.

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here.