THE CLASH OF THE TITANS

 

Image Credit- The Indian Express.

Venue- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai [May 1991]

Ranji trophy is one of the oldest and most prestigious cricket tournaments of our country. Even though IPL has taken all the limelight today, but the prestige of Ranji trophy will always remain intact. Today we don't see international cricketers toiling hard for this coveted trophy. However this was not always the case. Legendary Sachin Tendulkar played a total of 38 Ranji trophy games despite of his hectic international schedule. In those 38 games he averaged 87.36 which is truly unbelievable. Out of the 38 games he featured in, he faced defeat in only one game. Which match it was? This blog deals with that. 

In the summer of 1991 Kapil  Dev led Haryana were facing the tournament favorites Mumbai in the finals of the Ranji trophy. The match was to be played in Wankhede Stadium which was a bonus to the Mumbaikars. Kapil Dev won the toss and elected to bat first. On a batting friendly wicket the Haryana side did not start off very well as they lost their first wicket at the score of 5. It is when Ajay Jadeja joined Deepak Sharma on the crease and slowly and steadily the duo brought back Haryana into the game. Jadeja missed a well deserved hundred as he was dismissed for 94, but he ensured that Haryana goes on to make a big score. Deepak Sharma scored a brilliant 199 before he was dismissed by Salil Ankola. Apart from Deepak Sharma and Ajay Jadeja, Chetan Sharma also scored a vital 98 and took Haryana total way past 500. Eventually the visitors were bowled out for 522 in their first innings. 

In response the hosts were bowled out for 410 runs. Lalchand Rajput scored 84 whereas Sanjay Patil scored a crucial 85. Apart from these 2 batsmen every Mumbaikar got a start, but failed to convert it into something big. The hosts know knew that if they want to lift the trophy they have to win the game or else Haryana will lift the cup. As a result the Mumbai bowlers came out strong in the second innings and bowled out Haryana for 242 in the second innings. Despite all this the hosts needed 355 runs to win the match. Furthermore there was little more than 2 sessions left in the end of the play. As a result everyone was expecting a draw. Furthermore the Mumbaikars lost 3 quick wickets just at the score of 34. So it appeared that it is quite impossible for them to win the test. Even a draw looked difficult.

With only two sessions remaining, 321 runs to score, and seven wickets in hand, most of the teams would settle in for a draw. But the then Mumbai or Bombay was not an ordinary side. While Tendulkar, then 18 years old, was just getting started, Vengsarkar, who was 34 at the time, was past his prime but was still a batsman of the highest caliber. There was little doubt that they were two of the top batting talents in the nation, despite the fact that their careers may have been at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

Tendulkar built the groundwork for Mumbai's pursuit. The young boy launched an impressive attack. Despite his youth, he engaged the opposition head-on and pursued targets like Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma. He scored 96 runs off of just 75 balls, including five sixes, and dominated his 134-run partnership with Vengsarkar. Sachin never lost his shape or played cross-batted. All of the spectator cricket fans in the stadium gasped in wonder after one of his strokes to Kapil Dev. He merely punched the ball off his front foot, which caused it to fly flat and strike the sightscreen even though it had been pitched slightly up.

After Tendulkar was dismissed, Mumbai still had a lot of work to do. The left-hander Vinod Kambli stepped in after Tendulkar's departure and scored vital 45 runs, thereby adding 81 runs with Vengsarkar for the fifth wicket. But while they were batting together, Vengsarkar began to cramp, so Rajput was asked to serve as his runner. Once Kambli was dismissed, it was up to the seasoned player Vengsarkar to help his team score the final 106 runs. The hosts appeared to have the advantage at that time with five wickets still remaining. But the game's twists and turns were far from over. The final recognizable batsman before the tailenders was Chandrakant Pandit, who entered at no. 7. However, he lost his wicket for only 12 runs after making a hasty hit. In no time Mumbai lost 3 more quick wickets and the scorecard read 305/9. The hosts needed more than 50 runs to win, whereas the visitors were just wicket away from a famous win. 

However Vengsarkar batted sensibly along with the number 11 Kuruvilla and took Mumbai closer to the target. The Mumbai scorecard read 352/9 with 3 runs required in 15 deliveries. It seamed that Mumbai side will clinch a famous win in the Wankhede. But, this is when we witnessed a final twist to to the tale.  The hosts had a terrible run-out. Kuruvilla attempted to play the ball backward square-leg but was mistaken for Rajput and was ultimately run-out. The defeat was painful for Mumbai. Standing next to the square-leg umpire, Vengsarkar saw the dramatic change of events and fell to his knees in tears. It was a terrible finale for a man who had scored an undefeated 139 off 137 balls while displaying equal parts brilliance and bravery. 

The entire stadium went silent. No one could believe what they have just witnessed.  The unthinkable had happened. The favorites have been defeated. Haryana under Kapil Dev won their first Ranji trophy. Till date this remained the only Ranji trophy game which Sachin Tendulkar lost. 22 years later he played his final Ranji game against Haryana in Lahli wherein he scored an unbeaten 79 and ensured that they win the game against Haryana. The side which did the unthinkable 22 years earlier. 

[The author failed to find a video recording of this test. As a result, no clip has been posted this time.]

References- 1. ESPN CricInfo.

2. Aditya Chaturvedi, Underdog Story: How Haryana defeated the mighty Bombay in the great Ranji trophy final of 1991, The Scroll. Accessible at-  https://scroll.in/field/961236/underdog-story-how-haryana-defeated-mighty-bombay-in-the-great-ranji-trophy-final-of-1991 

KALLIS BIDS FAREWELL IN STYLE

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo

Venue- Kingsmead, Durban [December 2013]

In the previous post we have discussed about the first test between India and South Africa. This post deals with the second test of the same series which was played in Durban. Since first match ended in a draw, this test was a must win test for both the sides if they wanted to win the series. Indian Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. 

On a batting friendly wicket Indians started off very well. Dhawan and Vijay had an opening stand of 41 runs. But it was the partnership between Vijay and Pujara which kept India in the game. Murali Vijay missed his hundred by just 3 runs, whereas Pujara and Rahane scored wonderful half-centuries. After 111.3 overs the visitors were bowled out for 334 runs. Dale Steyn was the leading wicket taker for the hosts as he picked up 6 wickets in the first innings. 

In response the Proteas put the Indian bowling attack to sword. Skipper Smith and Alviro Petersen gave a strong start to the hosts. The shared an opening stand of 103 runs. However, 3 quick wickets reduced the South African total to 113/3. The game could have gone anywhere from this stage.  

This is when ABD joined Kallis on the pitch. However, what happened next was something truly incredible. Jacques Kallis who was playing the final test of his career took the charge and started scoring runs in all parts of the ground.  It seemed that he was determined to win this test for his team. Kallis made a solid 115 of 316 deliveries and helped Proteas take crucial lead. Yes, he played a slow knock, but a sensible knock. Alongside Kallis, AB de Villiers and Robin Petersen made crucial fifties. In addition to this even Dale Steyn scored a very important 44 which took Proteas to a massive score of 500.

It was never going to be an easy task for Indians to bat in the second innings. The South African bowlers kept on chipping wickets in regular intervals and bowled India out for just 223 runs. Except Rahane [96] every Indian batsman struggled in front of the great South African bowling line-up. The Proteas needed just 58 runs to win the game which they chased down without losing any wicket.

Dale Steyn was awarded the man of the match award for his all-round performance with both bat and ball.  AB de Villiers was awarded the man of the series award for his excellent contributions in both the tests. With the conclusion of this series, Jacques Kallis bid farewell to International Cricket in grand style.

[The author failed to find a video recording of this test. As a result, no clip has been posted this time.]

THE ULTIMATE DRAMA

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo 

Venue- New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [December 2013]

In December 2013 Indian Cricket Team toured South Africa to play 3 ODIs and 2 Tests. The Proteas won the ODI series 2-0 and all eyes were now set upon the test series. Indian Captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. On a spicy Wanderers pitch Proteas picked up the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay in no time. After 15 overs the Indian scorecard read 24/2. This is when young Virat Kohli walked in to bat. In tough batting conditions he scored a brilliant 119 and took his team to a respectable score of 280 in the first innings. It is pertinent to note that except Kohli every Indian batsman struggled in front of the South African bowling attack.  

In response the Proteas were bowled out for 244 in their first innings. Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma picked up 4 wickets each and ensured that the Indians take lead in the first innings. It is interesting to note that at one stage the Proteas scorecard read 130/1. But due to a disciplined bowling the hosts were eventually bowled out for 244.

Shikhar Dhawan's poor run off form continued in the second innings as well as he was dismissed for just 15. However early in the Indian innings Proteas lost Morne Morkel due to injury which meant Indians have to play one fast bowler less. Taking advantage of the same Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli put the depleted South African attack to the  sword. The 222 runs partnership which they shared between themselves is the highest run stand for India in tests against South Africa. Pujara scored 153 whereas Kohli missed his second 100 of the game by just 4 runs.  At the end of 2nd innings the Indians were bowled out for 421 runs. The Proteas needed a massive 458 runs to win the test.  

The South African openers gave a solid start to the hosts as they stitched an opening partnership of 108 runs between themselves. However Indian bowlers made a comeback and picked up 4 wickets before the Proteas could have reached 200. The South African scorecard read 197/4 when AB de Villiers joined Faf du Plessis at the crease.  

This is when the game tilted. ABD and Faf batted sensibly and kept the scoreboard ticking. Not only they defended well but also attacked upon the loose deliveries. Both of them scored a wonderful hundred and kept the hosts alive in the game. It was after toiling hard for 63 overs India managed to break this partnership as Ishant Sharma bowled ABD for 103. Following ABD's departure, Duminy was dismissed cheaply and the South African scorecard read 407/6. The hosts needed 51 runs in 11 overs, whereas the visitors needed 4 wickets. 

Faf continued his good run with the bat and took Proteas closer to the target. When it appeared that he will win the game for his side he was run in the most dramatic of styles. Faf left the ground after scoring a brilliant 134 as the Proteas now needed 16 runs in 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand. This when we witnessed another drama. The batsmen were confused whether they should go for the chase or not. Furthermore they did not get any clear instructions from the dressing room as well. Lastly Dhoni set up a very defensive field which tempted the batters to go for a draw. At the last ball of the game Steyn hit a six and the Proteas ended their second innings at 450/7.  

The crowd were booing both the sides because they butchered a lovely test match into a draw.  However one cannot deny that this was an incredible test match. A match which would be remembered for ages. 

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

 

THE BEST OF WARNIE

 

Image Credit- Cricket Australia.

Venue- Adelaide Oval, Adelaide [December 2006]

In the Australian summer of 2006, England toured Australia to play the Ashes. The hosts won the first test comfortably at the Gabba and all eyes were now set on the Adelaide Oval. The Adelaide pitch looked like a batting paradise. As a result, English Captain Andrew Flintoff elected to bat first after winning the toss. Despite a flat wicket the English started slowly and even lost a couple of wickets before they could have reached 50 runs mark. However, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood stitched a 113 runs partnership between themselves and brought England back into the game.  

By the time Bell was dismissed for 60, the English scorecard read 158/3. However, what happened next was something truly incredible. Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood batted for nearly 74 overs and took the English total way past 450. By the time Collingwood was dismissed for 206, the English scorecard read 468/4. Apart from Collingwood, Pietersen too scored a massive 158 on the flat Adelaide pitch. At the end Flintoff and Ashley Giles played some brilliant strokes and the visitors declared at a massive total of 551/6 in their first innings. 

To make matters worse, Australia lost their first wicket just before the end of day 2. The morning of day 3 was not pleasant at all as the hosts were struggling at 65/3. England would have sealed the game on day 3 itself provided they would have not dropped the catch of Australian Captain Ricky Ponting. Ricky Ponting led the fight against the English as he scored another Ashes ton against their archrivals. Apart from Ponting, Clarke scored a brilliant hundred in such a pressure situation. Furthermore Mike Hussey, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne too contributed with their bat and the Australians ended up scoring 513 runs in their first innings. Matthew Hoggard was the leading wicket taker for the English as he picked up 7 wickets in the first innings. 

It looked that the match would end in a draw. But what happened on Day 5 was something really unbelievable. Shane Warne led the Australian attack from the front and pushed England on backfoot. He bowled with so much of accuracy and precision that it became very difficult for the English to score. Furthermore, he also kept on taking wickets at regular intervals which made matter worst for the visitors. His delivery to Pietersen will be remembered for ages wherein he bowled Pietersen round his legs. The English were bowled out for 129 in their second innings. Shane Warne picked up 4 wickets for just 49 runs. It is interesting to note that Warne bowled nearly 32 overs in that English innings which implies that he kept on bowling from one end for entire innings.

The Aussies need 168 runs in 36 overs to win the test and take 2-0 lead in the series. This was an easy task for the then great Australian team. The Aussies chased down the total in just 33 overs with 6 wickets in hand. Mike Hussey scored an unbeaten 61, whereas Ponting scored 49. For his remarkable 142 in the first innings and 49 in the second innings, Ricky Ponting was awarded the man of the match award. However, it was the magic of Shane Warne which brought back life into a dead game.

To watch the match winning spell of Shane Warne, Click Here. 

AMBROSE BLOWS AUSTRALIA AWAY

 

Image Credit- Cricket Australia.

Venue- WACA Ground, Perth [January 1993]

In the Australian summer of 1992-93, West Indian Cricket Team toured Australia to play 5 test matches. At the end of 4 tests, the series was levelled at 1-1. It was thus a must win game for both the teams if they wanted to lift the cup.  

It is interesting to note that when Curtly Ambrose looked at the WACA pitch before the start of the game, he went to his skipper and said that you win the toss; we will win the match and the series. It is because the pitch looked perfect for fast bowling. However it was the Australian Captain Allan Border who won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat first. 

On a bowling friendly wicket Australians had a solid start. At one stage their scorecard read 85-2. It appeared that they will reach a fighting total on such hard wicket. But, what happened next was something truly unbelievable. Curtly Ambrose in his small spell of 32 deliveries picked up 7 Australian wickets for just 1 run. In no time the entire Australian team was torn apart. From 85/2 they were all out for a small total of 119. The Windies were truly back in the game. 

Riding on Phil Simmons 80 and Keith Arthurton's 77 the visitors ended up scoring 322 in their first innings. In response the Aussies were bowled out for just 178 in their second innings. Ian Bishop picked up 6 whereas Ambrose picked up 2 wickets in the second innings. The Windies won the game by an innings and 25 runs. Furthermore they also won the 5 match series 2-1. For his extraordinary spell  Curtly Ambrose was awarded the man of the match award. 

To watch that iconic spell of Ambrose, Click Here. 

THE BEST OF KING KOHLI

 

Image Credit- The Hindu

Venue- Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne [October 2022].

When I started this blog, I never thought about writing on T20 performances. However, there are some classics which one cannot ignore. One such classy performance was of our former skipper Virat Kohli. India-Pakistan is always a big game, and the intensity of the same rises even more in case of a World Cup match.  Furthermore, in the previous world cup encounter Pakistanis had the better of Indians. Afterall for the first time in the history of World Cup they outclassed their arch-rival and that too by a big margin of 10 wickets. As a result, the Indian side wanted to redeem themselves. Whereas the Pakistanis wanted to replicate their Dubai's performance. 

On a batting friendly wicket India won the toss and elected to field first. Arshdeep gave a wonderful start to the men in blue as he dismissed Babar for a duck and Rizwan for just 4. The Pakistani scorecard read 15/2 at the end of 4 hours. However, Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed held their nerves and scored wonderful half centuries. Due to their efforts the men in green reached a fighting total of 159/8 in their 20 overs. 

160 is a fighting total in MCG. Furthermore, the bowling attack of the Pakistanis made it even tougher. In such a situation India needed a strong opening stand. However, the same did not happen. At the end of 6.1 overs the Indian scorecard read 31/4. It seemed that Pakistanis would hand one more humiliating defeat to the men in blues. Indian victory in such a situation appeared a distant dream. 

That is when Virat Kohli came into the scene. Kohli along with Hardik Pandya batted sensibly and kept the scorecard moving. Not only they ensured that the men in Blue don't lose any more wicket, but they also hit the loose ball for boundaries. But, despite all this the Indians at one stage required 28 from 8 deliveries to win the game. However, what happened next was something truly unbelievable. Virat Kohli hit a straight six off Haris Rauf. It was such a classy shot of the King that it will be remembered for ages. In the very next ball, he hit one more six and the required rate came down to 16. 

In the final over though India lost Pandya at the very first ball, but Kohli with his shots and cricketing brain ensured that India wins the game. Though the winning run was hit by Ashwin, but it was Kohli who anchored this chase. 

For his extraordinary 82 of 53 balls Virat was awarded the man of the match award. A few months ago, critics were doubting Kohli's place in the world cup team, but here was the king who proved everyone wrong. The comeback was well and truly complete. 

To watch King Kohli's classic knock, Click Here.