THE REDEMPTION OF KING KOHLI

 

Image Credit- The Guardian.

Venue- Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham [August 2018].

In the summer of 2018, Indian Cricket Team toured England to play 3 T20 Internationals, 3 ODIs and 5 Test Matches. The visitors won the T20 series 2-1, whereas the hosts won the ODI series 2-1. All eyes were now set upon the highly anticipated test series between the two powerhouses of the game. The first match of the series took place in Birmingham. English Captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat first on a ground which is known as a batting paradise. 

The Hosts started off pretty well as at one stage their scorecard read 216/3. Captain Joe Root was batting on 80, whereas Jonny Bairstow also reached his half-century. It appeared that they will easily go past 400. But this is when Captain Kohli got rid of his English counterpart by a clinical run-out which further resulted in a dramatic English collapse. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 287 runs in their first innings. Ashwin was the leading wicket taker for the Indians as he picked up 4 wickets in the first innings. 

In response the Indians started off very well. Openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan had an opening partnership of 50 runs. However, Sam Curran picked up 3 quick wickets and in no time Indian scorecard now read 59/3. When the 2nd wicket fell, Virat Kohli stepped into the ground. To be honest it was a very hostile environment to bat upon. He did not get the best of receptions as we had 35,000 fans booing his name. Furthermore, in the previous series in England he managed to score just 134 runs in 5 test matches at an average of 13.40. So, there was a lot to prove and achieve in this part of the world. To make matters worse, the ball also started swinging which made batting tougher.

Kohli was lucky as in the very beginning he edged a ball to the gully, but it fell short and injured Jos Buttler's finger. After lunch when play began again, everything became chaotic. Anderson was behind Kohli since the very beginning of his innings. Whereas Ben Stokes was behind every remaining Indian batsman. The skill and tenacity of the Indian batsmen came under considerable examination. Dinesh Karthik and Ajinkya Rahane both fell short, and the Indian scorecard read 100/5. It could have been even worse, but the English Slip Fielders had some other plans. They went on dropping catch after catch which allowed Indians to make a comeback. 

The 48 runs partnership between Kohli and Pandya came to an end as Sam Curran trapped Pandya LBW. The scorecard now read 148/6.  Shortly afterwards, Malan again fumbled Kohli, this time on 51. Soon afterwards Anderson dismissed Ashwin. The Indians were still 118 runs behind which just 3 wickets remaining. Till now Kohli was playing a responsible Test innings, putting his ego aside. However now he simply unleashed himself because he was batting with the tail at this point. He knew he had to score fast because the tail won't survive long. 

And this is when we saw the best of King Kohli. He started smashing boundaries in all parts of the ground. He was so aggressive that even the English bowlers dropped the plan of dismissing him and rather focused upon getting the wicket of remaining batsmen. However, the best part of the day was when Kohli reached his hundred. The passionate celebration after his hundred implied how much it meant for him to score in England. It is interesting to note that even after his hundred he continued his same form. By the time Kohli was dismissed for 149 (He was also the last Indian Batsman to be dismissed in the Indian innings) the Indian scorecard read 273, just 14 runs behind the English total. His innings consisted of 22 boundaries and 1 six. 

When Kohli walked out of the ground we saw a huge crowd cheering for him. In a few hours time King Kohli turned the tables around. The critics became fans. The Ghost of 2014 was well buried under the soil. The redemption of King Kohli was complete. 

[Postscript- Virat Kohli scored 51 in the second innings as well, but the match ended in an English win because every other Indian batsman except Kohli struggled to score. The Author of this post was literally heartbroken while watching the Indian second innings. Afterall, we came so close to the target, but still failed to get past it.]

To watch the innings of Virat Kohli, Click Here. 

THE RECORD STAND

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo [July 2006].

In July 2006, South African Cricket Team toured Sri Lanka to play 2 test matches. The first test of the series took place in Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo. On a batting friendly wicket, South African Captain Ashwell Prince won the toss and elected to bat first. The Proteas started slowly and steadily. However, the Sri Lankan bowlers kept on picking wickets in regular intervals. Eventually the visitors were bowled out for 169 runs in their first innings. AB de Villiers was the leading run scorer for the Proteas as he scored 65 of 72 deliveries [8 Boundaries]. Apart from him no other South African batsman managed to score a 50. For Sri Lanka, Muralitharan and Fernando picked up 4 wickets each, whereas Maharoof took a couple of wickets. 

In response the Sri Lankans got the worst possible start as Dale Steyn dismissed both the openers in no time. The Sri Lankan scorecard read 14/2 and this is when Skipper Mahela Jayawardene joined Kumar Sangakkara on the crease. The game was on knife edge. It could have gone anywhere. However, what happened next was nothing short of a miracle. 

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene stitched together a massive partnership of 624 runs in 942 deliveries. The two batsmen literally annihilated the South African bowling line-up. They scored in all parts of the ground. Barring a few occasions, they did not give any chance to the South African bowlers. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that if we look into the nature of shots played during this partnership then we will find that it was just pure class, timing and finding of gaps. It was indeed a pleasure to watch them bat. The commentators ran out of superlatives to describe their partnership.

Kumar Sangakkara scored 287 of 457 deliveries. His innings consisted of 35 boundaries. Whereas Mahela Jayawardene scored 374 of 572 deliveries. His innings consisted of 43 boundaries and 1 six. The Sri Lankans eventually declared at a massive score of 756/5. 

It was certain that Proteas will not win this game. It was just about survival. The Proteas did give a fightback in the second innings. However, they struggled in front of legendary Muralitharan and were eventually bowled out for 434 in their second innings. The Hosts won the game by an innings and 153 runs. Mahela Jayawardene was awarded the man of the match award for his brilliant 374.

[Postscript- The Sri Lankans won the 2nd test by the barest of margins (1 wicket win). Mahela Jayawardene scored a hundred in second test as well. For this he was awarded the man of the match award. However, the player of the series award went to Muralitharan who picked up 22 wickets in just 2 games].

To watch the Record Partnership, Click Here. 

HOW THE MIGHTY HAS FALLEN

                   

Image Credit- ICC.

Venue- Lord's Cricket Ground, London [June 23, 1979].

It was the final of the 1979 Cricket World Cup. Defending Champions West Indies were facing hosts England in the Home of Cricket- Lords. West Indies reached their second consecutive final by defeating Pakistan in an interesting semi-final clash. On the other hand, the hosts England defeated the Kiwis to reach their first world cup final. However, just before the final, hosts had a massive setback because their leading bowler Bob Willis was ruled out of the final due to an injury. 

On a spicy wicket, England Captain Mike Brearley won the toss and elected to field first. The West Indies' innings got off to a poor start as they lost Greenidge, Haynes, Kallicharan, and skipper Clive Lloyd in quick time reducing them to 99/4. The game could have gone anywhere.  However, the West Indian innings was then stabilized by Sir Vivian Richards (138 from 157 balls, 11 fours, 3 sixes) and Collis King (86 from 66 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes). King, who had a strike rate of 130.3, particularly destroyed the English bowlers. By the time Collis King was dismissed, the West Indian scorecard read 5/238. The hard hitting continued even after King's departure as the West Indies reached a very impressive score of 286/9 in 60 overs, thanks to Vivian Richards. 

The English batsmen started slowly and steadily. However, the openers Mike Brearley (64 from 130 balls, 7 fours) and Geoff Boycott (57 from 105 balls, 3 fours) were playing very slow which increased the pressure upon the rest of the batsmen. Playing as though the game were a five-day Test, they set together a very systematic opening partnership of 129 runs in 38 overs. By the time they were dismissed the run rate had grown too much. Graham Gooch scored 32 runs, bringing England's total to 183/2, including some powerful strokes. But after the departure of Derek Randall, England had its worst World Cup collapse ever, losing 8 wickets for just 11 runs. At the end of 51 overs, they were eventually dismissed for just 194 runs. Joel Garner picked up 5 wickets for 38 runs. Sir Viv Richards was awarded the man of the match award for his excellent hundred as Windies successfully defended their world cup trophy. 

44 years down the line, the two-times champions have failed to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup. The West Indian Cricket at its all-time low. Alas how the might has fallen. 

To watch West Indian Innings, Click Here. 

To watch England's Innings, Click Here. 

A DAY TO REMEMBER

 

Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.

Venue- New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg [March 12, 2006].

In the summer of 2006, Australian Cricket Team toured South Africa to play 1 T20, 5 ODIs and 3 Test Matches. The Proteas won the T20 game by the barest of margins. However, the ODI series at the end of 4 games was levelled at 2-2. The Hosts won the first couple of one day games at Centurion and Cape Town. However, the visitors made a strong comeback as they won the next 2 games at Port Eilzabeth and Durban. All eyes were now set in Johannesburg wherein the final encounter was to take place. 

On a batting friendly wicket, Australian Captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first. The Aussies got off to a strong start, thanks to half centuries from Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich. In the 16th over, with the partnership at 97, Andrew Hall made a challenging catch diving to his left to dismiss Gilchrist. This is when Ricky Ponting came into bat at one of his favorite venues. Ponting then made his fastest one-day century, 100 off 73 balls, and eventually went on to make 164 off 105 balls, his greatest total at the Wanderers Stadium, with 9 sixes and 13 fours. Ponting and Katich stitched a partnership of 119 for the second wicket before Katich was caught by Roger Telemachus off Makhaya Ntini at third man for 79. 

Michael Hussey was then promoted up the order and he too made a quickfire 81 of just 51 deliveries.  Ricky Ponting was eventually dismissed in the 48th over when Boeta Dippenaar took his catch of the bowling of Andrew Hall. However, the slaughter continued even after Ponting's departure and at the end of 50 overs the Australian scorecard read 434/4. The Australians have created a new world record.

The Proteas needed 435 runs to win the game and the series. The required run rate was 8.7 per over. Something which is very difficult to do. At the interval, South African legend Jacques Kallis did try to bring some humor in the dressing room when he joked that it was a 450 runs wicket and the Aussies are actually 15 runs short, but the Proteas got off to a worst possible start as they lost their opening batsman Boeta Dippenaar for just 1 run. 

This is when Herschelle Gibbs stepped into bat. Gibbs smashed his own South African record for the fastest hundred, which had previously been off 84 balls against Zimbabwe, by reaching his 16th ODI hundred in 79 balls. With 175 off 111 balls, Gibbs had the second-highest score by a South African. He and Graeme Smith combined for 187 runs, which helped the South Africans get back into the match. Gibbs and AB de Villiers had another important partnership after Smith was dismissed for 90 from 55 deliveries. After Gibbs was out, Australia continued to put the Proteas under pressure with regular wickets, but strong hitting by Johannes van der Wath and Mark Boucher kept them alive in the game. 

In contrast to the rest of the game, Nathan Bracken bowled exceptionally well, taking 5 wickets while maintaining a reasonable economy of 6.7 in his 10 overs spell. South Africa needed 7 runs off of 6 balls in the game's final over, and Boucher was on strike. He pushed a single, giving Andrew Hall the opportunity to strike, who then hit a four, leaving two out of the next four balls. He attempted to duplicate the shot but was dismissed, reducing the Proteas scorecard at 433-9. The bowler, Brett Lee, was taken out for a single to third man by Ntini, the number 11 batter, tying the score. The following ball, Boucher smacked a four, giving him his 19th fifty in ODI cricket, and securing South Africa's famous victory.

The boundary sent the Proteas into a frenzy. In the words of Tony Greig, "Straight down the ground, what a victory! That is a sensational game of cricket, and it is a superb victory. Well, I've been around the world watching this game...look, there are tears, they are crying out there! The South Africans are charging out on to the field. Gilchrist shakes hands with Boucher. Ntini is on a high. Ponting cannot believe this has happened to his team. The South Africans at the Bullring today have seen the best one day international ever played."

[Postscript- Both Ponting and Gibbs were awarded the man of the match award for their excellent knocks, however the Aussie Captain declined his award because he felt that it was only Gibbs who deserved all applause.  The Aussies then went on to win the test series 3-0.] 

To watch the Australian innings, Click Here.

To watch the South African innings, Click Here. 

THE TEST

 

Image Credit- International Cricket Council.

Venue- Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados [March 1999].

In the summer of 1999, Australian Cricket Team toured West Indies to play 4 Tests and 7 One Day Internationals. The visitors crushed the hosts in the first test at Trinidad, whereas the hosts made a strong comeback in the series by winning the second test at Jamaica. The series was now levelled at 1-1 and all eyes were now set in Barbados. 

On a batting friendly wicket, Australian Captain Steve Waugh won the toss and elected to bat first. The visitors did not get the best of starts as Walsh and Ambrose reduced Aussies to 36/3 after 14 overs. This is when Captain Steve Waugh along with Justin Langer brought Aussies back into the game. However, Langer was dismissed by Hooper just after he reached his fifty. The Aussie scorecard now read 144/4 and this is when a young firebrand Ricky Ponting stepped into the crease. 

The Captain along with his heir apparent blew the Windies bowling line-up as both of them stitched a massive partnership of 281 runs. Ponting scored a majestic 104, whereas Captain Steve Waugh missed his double hundred by just one run. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 490 runs in their first innings. In response the hosts were bowled out for 329 in their first innings. Sherwin Campbell scored a magnificent 105 runs, whereas wicketkeeper batsman Ridley Jacobs scored a solid 68. Glenn McGrath was the leading wicket taker for the Aussies as he picked up 4 wickets in the first innings. 

The Aussies had a first innings lead of 161 runs. It appeared that they would blow away Windies again. But this is when Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh stepped in. The Windies pace duo just slayed the Aussie batting line-up as the visitors were bowled out for just 146 in their second innings. The Windies needed 308 runs to win the test and take a 2-1 lead in the series, 

However, this was never going to be easy in front of the legendary Australian bowling line-up. Though the hosts started in a slow and steady manner, but a flurry of wickets reduced their scorecard to 105/5, still needing 203 runs with just 5 wickets remaining. It seemed that Aussies will easily win this game. And this is when the Prince steeped in. 

Lara assumed control and played a legendary 153-run innings off 256 deliveries. With an innings that had 19 boundaries and a six, he single-handedly led West Indies to victory. Lara remained steadfast as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. The fact that no batsman from either team had previously managed to score more than 40 runs in the second innings made the knock even more noteworthy. He hit a fantastic cover drive off Gillespie to hit the winning runs and send the Caribbean into a frenzy, and that was the great moment. Brian Lara was selected Player of the Match for his outstanding effort as West Indies defeated the opposition by margin of just one wicket. 

This was indeed one of the finest knocks in the history of test cricket. In the words of former West Indian Captain Clive Llyod "To play as he did today, nursing along players with much less ability, was the hallmark of greatness."

To watch the innings of Brian Lara, Click Here. 

THE SULTAN OF MULTAN

 

Image Credit- Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Venue- Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan [28 March- 1 April, 2004].

In the summer of 2004, Indian Cricket Team toured Pakistan to play 5 ODIs and 3 Tests. The visitors won the ODI Series 3-2 and all eyes were now upon the test series. The first test was scheduled to take place in Multan and everybody was excited for this thrilling encounter. Indian Captain Rahul Dravid [Saurav Ganguly was out because of an injury] won the toss and elected to bat first. This decision was not a tough one as this venue is renowned for being batsman's paradise. However Virender Sehwag did the unimaginable. 

Virender Sehwag's early strategy of attacking paid off as he reached fifty just before noon. He maintained the miraculous attack by destroying Pakistan's defenseless bowling unit and reaching his century in just 107 balls. He didn't indicate that he was going to slow down, so the bowlers didn't get a break. Sehwag's sheer skills rendered the Pakistan's bowling foursome of Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammed Sami, and Abdul Razzaq ineffective. Sehwag broke Sanjay Manjrekar's record for the most runs an Indian batsman has scored against Pakistan by finishing Day 1 with an undefeated score of 221 runs. At the Multan Cricket Stadium on March 29, 2004, Virender Sehwag broke all kinds of records with his relentless hits. Sehwag made the illustrious Pakistani bowling lineup work hard in the oppressive Multan heat by batting for the equivalent of two days.

The combination between Sachin and Viru was very successful as they put together a record-breaking 335 runs. Sachin acted as the ideal counterbalance on the other end as the latter went bonkers with a couple heavy blows. The audience and the Indian dressing room were on their feet applauding the historic strike when Sehwag plucked a six over long-on off Saqlain Mushtaq's delivery at Multan, rewriting history in the manner that has become his trademark. He accomplished a triple century, becoming the first Indian batsman to do so.

Previously the highest individual score in Test cricket by an Indian batsman was VVS Laxman's 281, which was made at the Eden Gardens against the mighty Australians. However, by reaching 309 runs against Pakistan, the Delhi batsman smashed the 3-year-old record. His skill with the bat was on display during his 530 minutes at the crease, which included 39 boundaries and 6 enormous sixes. It also served as a preview of what was to come in the near future. Sehwag's outstanding performance served as a model for the new batting strategy in the game's longest version.

 In addition to Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 194 of 348 deliveries. His innings comprised of 21 boundaries. It was indeed one of the most finest knocks played by the Little Master and he deserved a double hundred. However a confusion resulted in declaration wherein it was Yuvraj who got dismissed for 59, but Dravid felt it was Tendulkar and he called for innings declaration at a massive score of 675/5. 

In response the Pakistanis were bowled out for 407 in their first innings. Yasir Hameed (91) and Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (77) managed to score half centuries, whereas Irfan Pathan was the leading wicket taker for the Indians as he managed to pick 4 crucial wickets. However the talking point of the Indian bowling was Sachin Tendulkar's delivery to Moin Khan. The spin which Tendulkar generated to dismiss Moin was simply unbeleivable.

The Indians decided to enforce a follow on and it turned out to be a wonderful decision. Mohammad Yousuf scored a fighting 112 before being dismissed by Irfan Pathan. Except him, every Pakistani batsman struggled in front of Anil Kumble who picked up 6 wickets in the second innings. The Pakistanis were bowled out for 216 runs in their second innings and Indians won the game by an innings and 52 runs. 

Postscript- Though there were many match winners for the visitors, however it was Virender Sehwag who was awarded the man of the match award for his brilliant 309. He simply outshined everybody.

To watch the innings of Virender Sehwag, Click Here.

To watch the innings of Sachin Tendulkar, Click Here.