NEW DELHI: What’s India’s biggest Check victory of all time? Each cricket fan has a private favorite. Unlikely triumphs, wrenched out at Oval 1971, Port of Spain 1976, Kolkata 2001, Brisbane 2021, and Kanpur 2024 too, for its audacity of creativeness, are prone to determine in most lists.
However for these of a sure classic, India’s nerve-jangling two-wicket win over Bobby Simpson‘s Australia precisely 60 years ago-Oct 15, 1964 on Dussehra day-at Bombay’s Brabourne Stadium ranks among the many easiest.
“It was probably the most thrilling Check seen in India because the 1948 (India vs West Indies in Bombay) one, some stated probably the most thrilling ever…Some Indians thought the Check in contrast with the tied Check (Australia vs West Indies in Brisbane, 1960),” wrote Mihir Bose in his masterly chronicle, A Historical past of Indian Cricket. The primary line of The Instances of India report summed up the nationwide temper: “Victory at last-And what a victory!”
“It was a seesaw sport,” recalled Chandu Borde, considered the backbone of India’s middle-order within the Nineteen Sixties. The pithy abstract is exact. The Check, performed on a freshly relaid pitch, wasn’t about wildly fluctuating fortunes; it was a match of mini tremors and gradual shifts. No person scored a century, no person claimed a fiver on this Check received by collective enterprise and true grit.
India had a bunch of notable performers. Captain MAK Pataudi entertained with 86 and 53. Vijay Manjrekar’s 59 and 39 had been important. Leg-spinner BS Chandrashekhar, the opposite surviving member from the taking part in XI, scalped eight (4/50 and 4/73). And left-arm spinner Bapu Nadkarni’s contributions with bat (34 & 0) and ball (2/65 and 4/33) had been important. However in the long run, it was Borde and keeper KS Indrajitsinhji, who turned heroes and had been “loaded with garlands” and hoisted on shoulders by spectators.
“The group rushed to the wicket, lifted and carried us to the pavilion,” stated Borde, now 90, on telephone. He remained undefeated on 30 whereas forging a match-winning 32 run ninth-wicket stand with Indrajitsinhji. The keeper stonewalled the Aussie assault for 41 minutes contributing a priceless 3.
Within the post-match melee, somebody filched Borde’s model new willow. “One individual took my bat and ran away. It was the bat I used to play in Lancashire (league). It was an English willow. That was stolen from me,” Borde had informed this reporter in 2020.
The group’s behaviour must be understood in the way in which the Check unfolded. Australia scored 320 batting first, India replying with 341. When the guests had been bowled out for 274 of their second knock, Pataudi’s men-Dilip Sardesai, ML Jaisimha, Salim Durani, Hanumant Singh, amongst others-needed 254 to overtake. India had by no means scored so many runs for a win within the fourth innings.
All seemed misplaced when six wickets fell for 122. Two of them had been evening watchmen, however even 50% of the goal hadn’t been reached but. Then the unbelievable started to occur. Pataudi and Manjrekar placed on 83 for the seventh wicket, earlier than each fell inside 10 runs of one another.
Now it was left to Borde and Indrajitsinhji to take India residence. “There was a whole lot of pressure on the bottom. However I used to be okay on the pitch. And Indrajitsinhji gave me good assist,” stated Borde.
Each run was cheered. “Although the faint-hearted may scarcely bear to look, Borde was taking part in his regular sport. With seven runs needed, offie (Tom) Veivers bowled an over-pitched ball which he off-drove for 4, the following ball he drove huge of mid-on and India had received,” wrote Edward Docker in “Historical past of Indian Cricket”.
In 55 Exams, Borde scored 3,061 runs. He smashed 5 centuries, an unbeaten 177 in opposition to Pakistan in Madras being his highest. His leg-breaks fetched him 52 wickets. But it surely was the sport altering cameo which earned him the adulation that each sportsperson goals of.
