50th anniversary of India's historic win at Port of Spain today -India's best win ever ?

[Harsh Thakor]

Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, is marked among cricket grounds for its poetic beauty. For India, it held a legacy of glory., when it re-wrote cricket history. 50 years ago., in 1976, it demonstrated to the cricketing world what metal it was made of.

On April 12^th, Indian cricket commemorates the 50^th anniversary of achieving the then highest fourth innings total, in the history of test cricket, chasing down a record fourth-innings target of 406 at Port of Spain. The fact that only Don Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ (in 1948 against England) had chased over 400 to win a Test before this match lends perspective to the magnitude of this achievement.   On that day Indian cricket had climbed an unprecedented zenith or wrote a new episode, creating one of cricket’s most stunning upsets or miraculous turnabouts. It was evidence that Indian cricket had come of age.

It underlined or showcased how cricket produced uncertainties like no other sport. It gave vibrations of reading the climax an epic novel with dramatic twist and turn at the conclusion

Very rarely in cricket or sport has a team risen from the depths of despair to transcend untold glory as India did here. India resurrected from the grave like a phoenix from the Ashes. It was without doubt one of the most stupendous achievements in cricket history.

The manner India sailed along facing such daunting or herculean task symbolised or was a testament to how much cricket is played in the mind. India had transcended mental resilience in realms almost surreal. The manner the Indian batsmen coasted along facing such a mammoth total made fans at the ground literally search their soul. India’s batting was a lesson or exercise in the art of playing spin bowling on a slow turner.

Rarely has cricket witnessed such an organised run chase or every member of a side performing his role so clinically. India’s historic victory was orchestrated by the tenacity and solidity of Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath fused with the refined artistry of   Gundappa Viswanath and belligerence of Brijesh Patel, re-wrote cricket history by chasing down a record fourth-innings target of 406 at Port of Spain. .

Gavaskar, Vishwanath and Amarnath were the architects or pillars of the victory setting a perfect platform, while Brijesh Patel gave the chase the perfect finishing flourish. The chase marked a testament to the greatness of Gavaskar, Vishwanath and Amarnath .and the Indian batsmen’s mastery on turning tracks or spin bowling. The chase marked a testament to the greatness of Gavaskar, Vishwanath and Amarnath .and the Indian batsmen’s mastery on turning tracks or spin bowling. Gavaskar, Vishwanath and Amarnath rolled into one would constitute the perfect batsmen., making a concoction of technical skill, solidity, temperament and stroke making flair or artistry. Significant it was the first test in which both Gavaskar and Vishwanath scored a century.

 

Flashes of Australian win in 1948

The victory in many ways resurrected the Australian triumph of 1948. The target of 403 around on par to what the Australians had faced in Leeds in 1948, when Don Bradman (173 not out) and Arthur Morris (182) had taken Australia home. The Australians won by seven wickets and India by one less, but morally, India lost only two wickets - Anshuman Gaekwad and Gavaskar - to the bowlers; the two others, Gundappa Viswanath and Mohinder Amarnath were run-out. The Australian opening pair, Morris and Lindsay Hassett, put on 57 runs, while Gavaskar and Gaekwad added 69. The second-wicket partnership between Bradman and Morris was worth a staggering 301. In contrast to this, Gavaskar and Amarnath put on 108 -  a humble contribution, patient and studious

 

Background.

West Indies had been tormented after facing a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Australia a few month before, overseas.

India came to the third Test at Trinidad after being literally blown to the dust in the first match of the four-Test series at Barbados. They had come within hairs breadth of winning the drawn second Test at the Queen's Park Oval, and when the third Test, scheduled to be played in Guyana, was rained off and the venue shifted back to Trinidad, they felt that they were had a fighting chance.

Match Summary

India were 131 runs adrift of the West Indies score of 359 in the 1^st innings, being dismissed for a paltry 228., with Michael Holding claiming six scalps.

.West Indies, with a lead of 131, put up a challenging target. They owed this to a blistering hundred from Alvin Kallicharran who made amends for his duck in the first innings, where he was one of BS Chandrasekhar's six victims, with an unbeaten 103 to enable Clive Lloyd to declare with two hours remaining on the fourth day., giving India a target of 406 to chase.

Before the start of the run chase, the situation appeared bleak for India, with the target of 406 runs looking an impossible milestone. Even that choiceless optimist, India's captain Bishan Bedi, was convinced that the game was lost bar the shouting

Still close of play on the penultimate day India were 134 for one. Gavaskar and Gaekwad had put on 69 runs and then Gavaskar and Amarnath came in unbeaten at stumps having made 86 and 14 respectively. The optimism of defying the most staggering odds brimmed in the hearts of Indian cricket fans and commentator Tony Cozier commented ‘'we could witness history in the making.’’Gavaskar laid the foundation setting up the perfect launching pad, personifying water tight technique, unwavering solidity, and concentration. Although it lacked some of the flow and conviction of his 156 in the second Test, he did exactly what the doctor ordered. He orchestrated calypso, "Gavaskar, the Little Master", to be again played in Trinidad. He looked in regal touch from the very first ball, and took the attack to Holding and Julien.

Amarnath's perfectly fused technical prowess with power, as he guided the ball through the gaps in the wide web that Raphick Jumadeen tried to trap him, or drove it through Albert Padmore's leg-side setting.

On the final day Gavaskar looked subdued or tied down and although tried his level-best, unable to find the timing of the previous day. After scoring 102, Gavaskar departed. while attempting to drive Jumadeen, Gavaskar missed the line, and was stumped by Murray.

With the score 177 for two Viswanath joined Amarnath to continue the trail left by Gavaskar. and in no time got into the act. Viswanath took over the mantle where Gavaskar ended, giving a dazzling and classical exhibition of strokeplay, majestically cutting and driving. Viswanath reached his first overseas hundred with an exquisite cover-drive just after tea, with India now looking coasting towards a miraculous victory. Viswanath ‘s eye was completely in square-cutting rising deliveries of Holding to the point boundary with uncharacteristic power, personifying artistry...The third wicket partnership swung the fortunes of the match irrevocably India’s way With Mohinder Amarnath's he added 159 to carry India to 292 for two by tea.

 

Mohinder seemed content to rotate the strike, while Viswanath attacked with supreme authority. Lloyd even tried the Chinamen of Fredericks, but to no avail. The West Indian bowling was clueless as the duo with their contrasting styles cruised along. Looking down in the barrel by the failure of his spinners, Lloyd claimed the second new ball. It made no change to the proceedings, as 37 came from the eight overs shared by Bernard Julien and Michael Holding - who limped off the field after his opening stint. Viswanath registered his fourth Test century but was run out when India was 70 runs adrift, as he misjudged a run responding instinctively to Amarnath and fell short of his ground. Viswanath was run out for 112 from 220 minutes with 15 fours, and India were 336 for 3, still requiring 67. India reached the final hour with 65 to score from the mandatory overs.

 

Five minutes skipper Bishen Bedia made the wisest tactical move wise move to send Brijesh Patel ahead of Eknath Solkar. Patel, who literally took the bowling by the scruff of the neck to keep the scoreboard racing. plundering runs. Patel with Amarnath coasted along towards the target with a flurry of boundaries. Everything was operated in perfect tune - mishits and byes accompany some dazzling strokes as Patel and Amarnath cruised along. Sadly, on the very brink of seeing India home, Amarnath was run out as Lloyd's accurate throw from cover ran him out. Dejection, weariness and strain was written on Amarnath’s face as he returned to the pavilion. He had battled for over 400 minutes and was unlucky to miss a well-deserved century by 15 runs.  Amarnath played role of catalyst in the unbelievable chase batting for 442 minutes epitomising great craft, unwavering solidity and intense concentration.  Not only did he occupy   the crease for over 7 hours, he ensured that the strike was rotated and thus turned out to be the pillar of the Indian run-chase.
 

When Patel took India over the line with six mandatory overs remaining, with a superb cut executed off Imtiaz Ali that went scuttling to the boundary.  the crowd were jubilant with almost unprecedented ecstasy and   came racing to the pavilion, with the cheers of the Indian supporters resonating from the Northern Hills which gazed the skyline.

That stroke came in the 13th of the 20 mandatory overs and India were home with six wickets and seven overs to spare. ''The greatest victory in Indian cricket’’ and ''Indian cricket’s finest hour’’ was resonated. It was a red letterday , for cricket history had been

Edited April 12 by Harsh Thakor

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