THE LONE-WARRIOR

 

Image Credit – ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne [December 26-30, 1999].

In the Australian summer of 1999, the Indian cricket team toured Australia to play 3 Test matches. The Aussies won the first test at Adelaide by a massive 285 runs, and the action now shifts to Melbourne. It was a do-or-die test for the Indians. Fortunate enough, it was Sachin Tendulkar who won the toss and decided to field first on what looked like a gloomy day in Melbourne. There were black clouds all around, with instance of shower in between. So, bowling first seemed a wonderful decision.

However, Michael Slater scored a gritty 91-run knock and got his team to a solid start. Apart from Slater, Ponting and Gilchrist too scored valuable 50s as the hosts posted a formidable 407 in the first innings. In response, the Indian batting line-up fell like a pack of cards. Apart from the great Sachin Tendulkar, every other batsman looked helpless in front of the Aussie attack led by debutant Brett Lee. Brett Lee, who was playing his maiden test match in front of a packed MCG crowd, picked up 5 wickets as the Indians bundled out for just 238 in their first innings.

But even in this moment of despair and defeat, Sachin Tendulkar played a magnificent knock of 116 and led the fight alone for his country. In an innings which lasted for around 5 hours, Sachin hit a total of 9 boundaries and one six. It was literally a captain's knock wherein he replied to the Aussies in style. But it was his duel with Warne which grabbed the headlines. Both Warnie and Sachin were at the peak of their powers, and the way Sachin batted in front of him made everyone stand on their feet. The innings was truly as classic as even the opponent players congratulated the great man when he got to his hundred. 

However, cricket is a team game, and one man cannot do it all alone. The Aussies in the second innings declared at a score of 209/5 and set Indians a difficult target of 376 runs. The run chase was not going to be an easy one, and the lethal bowling lineup of the Aussies made the task close to impossible.

The Indians crumbled in no time, and the hosts won the match comfortably by 180 runs. Team India, in their second innings, managed to score just 195 runs, with their captain being the lone performer. Tendulkar scored a fighting 52 as the Aussies ran rampant over the remaining team. The match was lost, and so was the series.

However, despite ending up on the losing cause, Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the man of the match award for his magnificent performance. After all, the captain gave it his all. Interestingly, after 26 years the match is remembered for the duel between Warnie and Sachin. It was indeed a clash of the titans on the most hallowed ground of cricket. 

To watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Here. 

THE RUN-CHASE

 

Image Credit – ESPN Cricinfo.

Venue – Bellerive Oval, Hobart [November 18-22, 1999].

In the Australian summer of 1999, the Pakistan cricket team toured Australia to play 3 Test matches. The Hosts won the first test at Brisbane by 10 wickets, and action for the series now shifted to Hobart. It was a must-win game for the visitors to stay alive in the series. However, it was the Australian captain who won the crucial toss and sent the Pakistanis to bat first.

The decision turned out to be a good one as the visitors bundled out for just 222 runs in their first innings. Mohammad Wasim was the leading run-getter for the men in green as he scored a solid 91 against the lethal Australian bowling attack. However, apart from him, no other Pakistani batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark. For Hosts, it was Warnie and Muller who picked up 3 wickets each.

In response, the Aussies started strongly and steadily. Michael Slater scored a gritty 97 as he took his team closer to the visitors' total. However, we witnessed a collapse after Slater's dismissal. From 1/191, the Aussies ended up getting bowled out for just 246 runs. Saqlain Mushtaq played a key role in this collapse as he picked up 6 crucial wickets and brought his team back into the game.

In the second innings, however, the visitors came out strongly and posted a formidable total of 392 runs. Inzamam-ul-Haq scored a magnificent 118 as the hosts struggled to take wickets. Apart from Shane Warne (5), every bowler struggled to get a breakthrough.

The Aussies now needed 369 runs to win the test and series. However, this was not going to be an easy task. Moreover, the chase became even more difficult as the visitors dismissed the top order in no time. The Aussie scorecard read 5/126 when Gilchrist joined Langer in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the Pakistanis would have steam-rolled the Aussies' tailenders.

But this is when we witnessed one of the finest cricketing partnerships. The duo of Langer and Gilchrist stitched a massive partnership of 238 runs and won the game for their team. It was truly a delight to watch. Langer played a gritty knock of 127 off 195 deliveries and took the sting out of the attack. But the real havoc was wreaked by Gilchrist, who scored a quickfire 149* off just 163 deliveries and demolished the opponent by his explosive brand of cricket. It was 'BazBall' before 'Bazball'. It was explosive cricket of the highest order.

The Aussies won the match by 4 wickets and took a 2-0 lead in the series. Justin Langer was awarded the man of the match award for his remarkable batting performance; however, it was the innings of Gilchrist which grabbed the headlines. The flamboyant wicketkeeper batsman has made his mark in the red ball game. Moreover, the defeat in Hobart also shattered the morale of the visitors as they ended up getting whitewashed at the WACA.

To watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Here. 

THE FIGHTBACK

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica [30 July-3 August, 2016].

In the summer of 2016, the Indian Cricket Team toured the West Indies to play 4 Test Matches and 2 T20 Internationals. The visitors won the first test comfortably, and the action of the series now reached the iconic venue of Sabina Park. The Windies won the toss and decided to bat first in a game which they couldn't afford to lose. However, the visitors continued their form from Antigua and bowled out the hosts for just 196 runs in the first innings. Ravichandran Ashwin was once again the leading wicket-taker for the Indians as he picked up yet another fifer. Apart from Ashwin, Ishant and Shami picked a couple of wickets each as the Windies struggled yet again in front of the Indian bowling attack.

In response, the Indians declared a massive score of 500/9. KL Rahul scored a magnificent 158 as Indians were able to secure a massive first-innings lead of 304 runs. Apart from Rahul, Rahane too scored an unbeaten 108 as the Windies struggled for wickets. However, it is interesting to note that Roston Chase did give some competition to Indian batsmen, as he was able to pick up 5 of the 9 wickets, which included the prized wickets of Dhawan and Kohli. Moreover, he was also involved in the run-out of Pujara, so his contribution was significant for the hosts.

However, a deficit of 304 was never going to be easy for any team in any condition. To make matters worse, the Windies' top order collapsed in no time, with Indians looking at yet another innings win. But this is when Roston Chase surprised everyone, this time with the bat, as he scored an unbeaten 137 and helped Windies secure a draw from nowhere. Chase batted for around 6 hours and stitched valuable partnerships with Dowrich and Holder as the Windies inched closer to the 400-run mark [388/6 to be precise].

After 104 overs of West Indies batting, the test match ended in a draw. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. After all, the hosts have pulled off a miraculous fightback before a mighty Indian side. Roston Chase was awarded the man of the match award for his all-round performance as the hosts were still alive in the series.

To watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Here.

To read about what happened in the First Test, Click Here. 

THE PINK BALL EXPERIMENT

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Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham [August 17-21, 2017].

In the summer of 2017, the English Cricket Board decided to go for the pink-ball experiment. Previously Australia has hosted a couple of day-night test matches which got them positive results in terms of revenue and viewership. As a result, the English too decided to try their hand at this new phenomenon.

Birmingham was selected as the venue for the first pink-ball test on English soil. The opponents were the West Indies, who were touring England to play 3 Test matches, 5 ODIs and a T20 international. Interestingly, it was the first test, which was supposed to be the pink ball test. Hence, everyone was excited for the same.

English Captain Joe Root won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. However, it was the visitors who got off to a great start as they reduced the hosts to 39/2 as Captain Joe Root joined Alastair Cook in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. But this is when the duo of Root and Cook stitched a partnership of 248 runs and brought their side back into the game. Root played a captain's knock of 136 as he took his side to a commanding position. However, Roach bowled a snorter and bowled him out. Nevertheless, Cook continued to dominate from his side as he scored a monumental 243 runs off 407 deliveries. It is pertinent to note that Cook batted for around 10 hours as England declared at a massive total of 514/8.

In response, the Windies total was 44/1 when stumps was called for Day 2. The duo of Anderson and Broad were literally bowling fire with the pink ball. It was almost inevitable that the Windies would get blown away by the English bowling attack. But no one could have imagined that the hosts would dismiss 19 batsmen in a single day and would wrap up the test match on the third day itself. The Windies were bowled out twice in just 93 overs as England won the test match by an innings and 209 runs.

The visitors looked clueless on day 3 as they were bowled out for 168 runs in the first innings and 137 in the second. Anderson and Broad led from the front as the English dismantled the opposition. The pink ball and cold weather with swing and seam made the English bowling more lethal.

Alastair Cook was awarded the Man of the Match Award as England took a 1-0 lead in the series. Interestingly, since then we have not had a pink ball test on the English soil.

To watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Here.

To watch the Innings of Sir Alastair Cook, Click Here. 

THE CHASE-MASTER

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue – Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali [October 23, 2016].

Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen of our times. In the words of Martin Crowe, who wrote way back in 2014 that he, along with Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Joe Root, constitutes a Fab 4 who would rule the world of cricket in the coming years. And rightly said, these 4 batsmen of our generation did go on to conquer the world and prove Martin Crowe right. However, when it comes to chasing targets in an ODI or T20 game, no one comes closer to Kohli. He is the ultimate cricketer a team needs during a run chase in a white-ball game. It seems Kohli enjoys himself the most when he has a target in front of him. This post is about one of his best run-chases.

In the autumn of 2016, the New Zealand Cricket Team toured India to play 3 test matches and 5 one-day internationals. The test series ended in a 3-0 win for the hosts, but the ODI series was levelled 1-1 at the end of the second game. The drama for the third game now moved from Delhi to Mohali, wherein we met for yet another exciting clash between two strong sides.

MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to field first on what looked like a good batting wicket. The Kiwis started off pretty well but were struggling in the middle overs. At one stage the New Zealand scorecard read 199/8 with 12.1 overs still left in the innings. It seemed that the Kiwis would be bowled out in no time. But this is when Jimmy Neesham and Matt Henry stitched a valuable partnership of 84 runs and brought the Kiwis back into the game. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 285 in 49.4 overs, with the hosts now needing 286 to win the game and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

The run chase was not going to be an easy one, as the Kiwis had a strong and formidable bowling attack. Furthermore, the visitors got off to a great start as they dismissed both the Indian openers cheaply. However, they did make one mistake in between, and that cost them the match. In the 5th over of the Indian innings, Ross Taylor dropped an easy catch of Virat Kohli, who was then batting on just 6 runs. It was a huge moment in the match. If Henry would have got Virat's wicket at that moment, the game would have been done and dusted right there. However, the drop turned out to be an expensive one for the Kiwis, as Kohli played a masterclass and took his side home comfortably.

In a match-winning innings which lasted for nearly three and a half hours, Virat Kohli scored a monumental 154* off just 134 deliveries and won the game single-handedly. It is interesting to note that in this knock of his, Kohli scored 16 boundaries and 1 six, which implies that he scored the remaining 84 runs by running between the wickets. Moreover, throughout the chase he never played another rash shot and still managed to keep the required rate within limits. The target of 286 in a ground like Mohali is never an easy task. But Virat Kohli played with such a calculated approach that the balance of the match never shifted towards the other side. In the words of Sunil Gavaskar, he has a computer fit in his mind. The way he maintained the run rate throughout the Indian innings and the manner in which he found gaps in the ground was simply superb. Apart from Virat Kohli, Captain Dhoni too scored a gritty 80 as the hosts won the game by 7 wickets and took a 2-1 lead in the series.

The run chase rightly justified the chase-master tag given to King Kohli by the cricket fraternity.

To watch that Innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

THIS IS TRAVBALL

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth.

Ashes 2025-26 was one of the most anticipated test series. The media hype was at its peak. Everyone had just one question in mind – will Bazball work Down Under? It is interesting to note that it was only after the humiliating 0-4 defeat to Australia in the 2021-22 Ashes Series which propelled the English management to make radical changes to their philosophy pertaining to test cricket. Kiwi legend Brendon McCullum was appointed as the England Test Coach in the summer of 2022, with Ben Stokes as the new English Test Captain. The duo revolutionised the way Test cricket was to be played now. Bazball became the talk of the town as the English adopted an aggressive and attacking style of play. But the question was, will this philosophy work in Australia? After all, it failed badly in India. However, the English batsmen before the series were in red-hot form, with the Aussies missing out on their key pacers, including Captain Cummins. As a result, there was a belief among many that the English can possibly win the Ashes down under after 15 long years.

The eyes were all set for the first test, which took place in Perth. English Captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bat first upon a pitch which had bounce and pace. Mitchell Starc bowled the first over of the game, and boy, what happened next was something which set the place alive. Starc dismissed Crawley in the very first over and set the tone for the Aussies from the first over itself. The English did manage to get a few partnerships in between, but they looked clueless in front of Mitchell Starc, who picked up 7 wickets in the first innings as the English were bowled out for just 172 in 32.5 overs. It is interesting to note that apart from Harry Brook, no other batsman was able to cross the 50-run mark. Something which is hard to believe.

However, in response, the English fought back hard as they bundled Australia out for just 132 in the first innings. Captain Stokes led from the front as he picked up 5 crucial wickets, with England managing to get a crucial 40-run lead. But, just like in the first innings, Mitchell Starc dismissed Crawley for a duck in the very first over and shifted the momentum towards the hosts.

The English, in the process of getting quick runs, kept on losing wickets and were bowled out for 164 runs in 34.4 overs. Scott Boland picked up 4, whereas Starc and Doggett were able to pick up 3 wickets each. The match was indeed on a knife-edge. A target of 205 appeared to be a tricky chase. Moreover, the injury to Khawaja also raised the question of who will open the innings along with Weatherald. Marnus Labuschagne did open in the first innings, but he is not a regular opener. So there was confusion all around.

This is when Captain Smith made one of the bravest calls. He sent Travis Head to open the innings along with Weatherald, and what happened next is history. Travis Head played one of the most destructive innings in the history of Ashes Cricket and single-handedly took his side home. The target of 205 was chased down in just 28.2 overs as Head scored an incredible 123 off just 83 deliveries. In an innings which lasted for around 2 hours, Head just demolished the English pace attack. It was indeed explosive cricket. It is pertinent to note that on a wicket where batsmen were struggling to survive, Head hit a total of 16 boundaries and 4 sixes. It was truly a masterclass.

The crowd in Perth were up and roaring for Travis Head, who entertained the crowd with BazBall – no, TravBall. The Aussies were 1-0 up in the series just after 2 days, with English morale getting dashed in the very beginning itself. Despite dominating for most of the part of the match, they ended up losing yet another test match. Mitchell Starc was awarded the player of the match award for picking up 10 wickets in the match. However, it was TravBall which became the talk of the town after the first test.

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

Day 1.

Day 2.

To watch the innings of Travis Head, Click Here.

To watch the spell of Ben Stokes, Click Here.

To watch the spell of Mitchell Starc, Click Here. 

THE PROTEAS MARCH FORWARD

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue – Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban [November 27-30, 2024].

In November 2024, the Sri Lankan cricket team toured South Africa to play 2 test matches. The tour was an important one, as the WTC Finals were at stake. The hosts were the favorites before the series, but one could not rule out the Lankans. After all, who can ever forget their test triumph 5 years ago in the Rainbow Nation? Moreover, they whitewashed Kiwis in a test series just a couple of months ago. So, everyone was expecting an interesting contest between two strong cricketing nations.

On a cloudy day in Durban, Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss and sent the Proteas to bat first. The decision turned out to be a good one, as the Lankan bowlers dismantled the South African top order in no time. Unfortunately, the rain stepped in between, and the match was abandoned for the day with only 20 overs being bowled. The Proteas' scorecard read 80/4 at the end of Day 1's play.

The Sri Lankan carnage continued on the second day as well, as the Proteas kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for just 191 runs in their first innings. Captain Temba Bavuma was the lone fighter for his side as he played a gritty knock of 70 runs, wherein no other Proteas batsmen managed to get past even the 25-run mark.

However, one thing was certain, and that was that even the Sri Lankans will struggle to bat upon this Kingsmead pitch in front of the lethal Proteas pace attack. But what followed next was something truly unbelievable. Marco Jansen bowled one of the deadliest spells of his life as he picked up 7 Lankan wickets for just 13 runs. In a short spell of 6.5 overs, Jansen unleashed terror. Moreover, the visitors looked clueless as the trio of Rabada, Jansen and Coetzee demolished them for just 42 runs in their first innings, with the hosts taking an important first-innings lead of 149 runs.

The match was well and truly over for the Lankans after the first innings itself. However, the remaining hopes were later buried by the duo of Tristan Stubbs and Captain Bavuma, who together stitched a massive 249 runs and took the game away from the visitors. Tristan Stubbs posted a solid 122, whereas Captain Bavuma continued his form from the first innings and hammered a brilliant 113 as the Sri Lankan bowlers looked helpless.

The hosts eventually declared at the score of 366/5, with the visitors now needing 516 runs to win the game. Though there were 7 sessions left in the game, it was almost certain that the Sri Lankans were inching towards a big defeat.

Unlike the first innings, this time the visitors did show some resistance with half centuries by Dinesh Chandimal and Captain Dhananjaya de Silva. However, this was not going to be enough for the Lankans, who were eventually bowled out for 282 runs in their second innings. Marco Jansen was the leading wicket taker in the second innings as well, as he picked up 4 crucial wickets. Apart from Jansen, Rabada, Coetzee and Maharaj picked up 2 wickets each as the hosts won the first test by 233 runs.

Marco Jansen was awarded the man of the match award for his marvelous contribution with the ball. Interestingly, the victory march which the Proteas started in Durban continued the entire summer as they whitewashed Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home, and later in 2025, they went on to win their first World Test Championship Mace at Lord's.

To Watch the Highlights of the Test Match, Click Here.