When Chepauk played host to fierce battles with the willow

Memorable knock: Dean Jones scored a splendid 210, regardless of the warmth and humidity that compelled him to throw up beside the pitch in the first check of the 1986 sequence.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives

The Ashes and matches that includes India and Pakistan are sometimes deemed the highest factors in cricketing rivalry. But over the final 20 years, a contest pitting India towards Australia has acquired a definite aura.

Perhaps the early seeds of this fascinating duel had been sowed at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in the Madras of the previous. On the fertile turf that’s Chepauk, as the venue is popularly identified, India and Australia had two stirring battles in the Nineteen Eighties.

Australian revival

In the first Test of the 1986 sequence, Kapil Dev’s males and Allan Border’s doughty troops went exhausting at one another. Border, robust as nails, was making an attempt a revival of Australian cricket. He led a staff excessive on expertise and one that exposed the innate abilities of David Boon, Dean Jones, Steve Waugh, and Craig McDermott, to identify a number of. Meanwhile, Kapil had the senior duo of Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath, native star Okay. Srikkanth, children like Mohammad Azharuddin, Maninder Singh, and Chetan Sharma, in addition to all-rounder Ravi Shastri. It was a September excessive on warmth and humidity and in a sweaty cauldron partially mitigated by the sea breeze from the close by Marina seashore, Dean Jones scored a splendid 210.

The climate nonetheless obtained to the batter. He threw up beside the pitch, however Border pressed him to bat on. Australia wrested the first innings honours, however Border was eager on a second innings shootout, and India was set a goal of 348. Kapil, having scored an outstanding ton in the first dig, was excited by the goal.

The model of fearless cricket bandied about as of late was evident again then too. Led by Gavaskar’s 90, the Indian batting tangoed at full gusto earlier than a clutch of wickets left the closing day on a razor’s edge.

The second tie

Shastri shepherded the tail however when the scores had been degree, final man Maninder was adjudged leg earlier than wicket (lbw) to spinner Greg Matthews. It was the second tie in cricket and historical past was made at the Chepauk. As at all times, Chennai’s educated crowd embraced the consequence even when Shastri to at the present time believes that the lbw was a bit doubtful!

As destiny would have it, the groups clashed at the similar floor in the 1987 World Cup sport. Australia posted 270 for six and India, cruising at one stage, was inexplicably bowled out for 269! The guests received by a nerve-wracking one run.

As the years wore on, Chepauk witnessed many fiery duels, together with these between Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. Cut to the current, Australia stays India’s strongest cricketing adversary, and this riveting tapestry’s preliminary threads had been woven in Madras.