ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Posted December 25, 2009 Bored on Christmas, and looking for something to do, I thought I should finally start on this which I've had on mind for a long time. No this is not what you think it is. This is a compilation of Sachin's centuries in Test matches. The exercise might not be too enticing for some and others may find this helpful, but I'm bored so I'm doing it with nothing better to do this weekend. I'll try to fill the list whenever I'm bored. Articles,images ,Courtesy cricinfo,wisden Century #1 : 119* v England at Old Trafford, Manchester, 9 Aug 1990 Scorecard : http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63535.html Second Cornhill Test England v India 1990 Graham Otway Toss: England. Test debuts: India - A.Kumble. Of the six individual centuries scored in this fascinating contest, none was more outstanding than Tendulkar's, which rescued India on the final afternoon. At 17 years and 112 days, he was only 30 days older than Mushtaq Mohammad was when, against India at Delhi in 1960-61, he became the youngest player to score a Test hundred, More significantly, after several of his colleagues had fallen to reckless strokes, Tendulkar held the England attack at bay with a disciplined display of immense maturity. India were placed on the defensive once Gooch chose to bat first. The Old Trafford groundsman, Peter Marron, wrong-footed by a cold change in the weather after watering, had predicted even bounce but little pace, and England quickly grasped the opportunity. Leading an unchanged side, Gooch put on 73 untroubled runs with Atherton in the first hour, and India soon resorted to their leg-spinners, Hirwani and Kumble, the latter replacing seamer Sharma from the team at Lord's. They slowed down England's progress, but could do little to prevent a 225-run opening partnership, which overtook by 21 runs the record Gooch and Atherton had set at Lord's a fortnight earlier. In scoring 116, Gooch became the first English batsman for nineteen years to record centuries in three successive Test innings, but on the day he was eclipsed by his junior partner. In five and a half hours, Atherton carefully constructed 131, exactly matching the feat of G. Pullar, the only other Lancastrian to score a Test century for England at Old Trafford, against India 31 years earlier. Smith batted for just over four hours, passing his century during a last-wicket partnership of 60 with Malcolm, an unexpectedly supportive ally, as England reached 519. The loss of three quick wickets for 57 to the seam movement of Fraser, in the final hour of the second day, placed India in immediate peril. On Saturday, however, they were rescued in style by their captain, Azharuddin, and Manjrekar, whose fourth-wicket stand of 189 set the pace for an entertaining day's play in which 355 runs were scored. Manjrekar made 93 in three and three-quarter hours before falling to a bat-pad catch at silly point off the tireless Hemmings, but Azharuddin could not be stopped so easily. In a breathtaking 281-minute stay for 179, he hit 21 fours and a six, and between lunch and tea he became the first player to score 100 runs for India in a Test session. After he had miscued a drive off Fraser to Atherton, the second new ball accounted for most of the remaining Indian batting, although Tendulkar, after taking 54 minutes to get off the mark, gave warning of his talents in scoring 68 from 136 balls to reduce the England lead to just 87. As England's second innings began on the fourth morning, Gooch suffered a rare failure in a rich summer, departing for 7. But Atherton added a further 74 to his first-innings hundred, and a winning position was achieved through the efforts of Lamb. Earlier in the game he had looked out of his depth against the Indian spinners, but, relishing the challenge, he hit Hirwani for two successive sixes early on, and his 109 from 141 balls, followed by Smith's unbeaten 61, allowed Gooch to declare 25 minutes into the final day. To win and square the series, India were offered a minimum of 88 overs in which to score 408, 2 runs more than their own record for the highest winning total by a side batting second in a Test. From the seventh ball of their innings, when Sidhu was brilliantly caught off Fraser by the substitute, Adams, at short leg, it looked a tall order. On a slowly wearing pitch Hemmings produced just enough deviation to have both Manjrekar and Azharuddin caught in the leg trap - but it was the gay abandon of three senior Indian batsmen which might have set Tendulkar a bad example. Shastri dragged a wide ball on to his stumps, Vengsarkar offered no stroke to Lewis, and Kapil Dev sallied down the pitch to Hemmings. When the all-rounder, Prabhakar, joined Tendulkar, India were 183 for six and there were two and half hours of the match remaining. Gooch crowded the bat and shuffled his bowlers like a croupier, but England were to be denied by their own mistakes. Hemmings put down a simple return catch when Tendulkar was 10, and Gooch failed to get a hand at second slip to a chance offered by Prabhakar. England could ill afford such lapses, and the pair had seen India to safety when the game was halted with two of the final twenty overs still to be bowled. Tendulkar remained undefeated on 119, having batted for 224 minutes and hit seventeen fours. He looked the embodiment of India's famous opener, Gavaskar, and indeed was wearing a pair of his pads. While he displayed a full repertoire of strokes in compiling his maiden Test hundred, most remarkable were his off-side shots from the back foot. Though only 5ft 5in tall, he was still able to control without difficulty short deliveries from the English paceman. Man of the Match: S. R. Tendulkar. Attendance: 42,424; receipts £521,100. Close of play: First day, England 322-3 (A. J. Lamb 20*, R. C. Russell 7*); Second day, India 77-3 (S. V. Manjrekar 21*, M. Azharuddin 4*); Third day, India 432; Fourth day, England 290-4 (R. A. Smith 49*, J. E. Morris 15*). © John Wisden & Co nospam 1
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century #2 : 148* v Australia @ Sydney Cricket Ground, 2 Jan 1992 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63565.html Third Test Match AUSTRALIA v INDIA 1991-92 Toss: India. Deferring to the Sydney pitch's reputation as a turner, Australia took aboard the uncapped leg-spinner Shane Warne, instead of off-spinner Peter Taylor. Adopting the opposite policy, India replaced slow left-armer Raju with a fourth seamer, the débutant Banerjee, and put Australia in, a hard pitch and a clear sky notwithstanding. Though Banerjee took three out of four wickets on the first day, India sorely missed a specialist spinner as they sought victory on the last afternoon, when the bounce was uneven and the ball was turning, albeit slowly. The Indians not only batted and bowled better than Australia; their fielding and running between wickets were so vastly improved that they were unrecognisable. But for the loss of 94.1 overs to bad light and rain on the third and fourth days, they would have won. Australia's bowling was grievously weakened when Reid strained a side muscle after bowling four overs. But on the first day the Indians seemed to have shot themselves in the foot by fielding. It was only when they took the new ball next morning that, helped by cloud cover, India seized the initiative. Kapil Dev dismissed Border for the third time in the series, and three wickets from Prabhakar pinned back Australia to 269 for eight within an hour. Boon, who punished the bad ball unerringly, was to remain unbeaten on 129. By the end of the day India had lost Sidhu, recently flown in as a replacement opener, and Manjrekar. Shastri and Vengsarkar batted stoically through the shortened third day, though Shastri offered Warne a difficult return chance. In the morning McDermott removed Vengsarkar and Azharuddin in one over with the new ball, but Australia did not claim another wicket until tea when Shastri, having reached his first double-century in a Test, fell to a tired shot at Warne after nine a half hours, 17 fours and two sixes. He had shared India's highest ever fifth-wicket partnership (196) against Australia with Tendulkar, who later became the youngest man to score a Test century in Australia. His mature and fluent innings lasted 298 minutes. India batted on into the fifth day - mistakenly, it seemed. But the decision looked far better when the pace bowlers reduced Australia to 55 for three, and then Shastri took three wickets to make the score 114 for six. The collapse was checked by Border, assisted first by Hughes and then by Warne, who helped block out the last seven minutes. Man of the Match: R. J. Shastri. Attendance: 54,263. close of play: First day, Australia 234-4 (D. C. Boon 89*, A. R. Border 14*); Second day, India 103-2 (R. J. Shastri 52*, D. B. Vengsarkar 13*); Third day, India 178-2 (R. J. Shastri 95*, D. B. Vengsarkar 43*); Fourth day, India 445-7 (S. R. Tendulkar 120*, C. S. Pandit 3*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 3 : 114 v Australia at Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth, 1 Feb 1992 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63567.html Fifth Test Match AUSTRALIA v INDIA 1991-92 Toss: Australia. Tom Moody made a triumphant return as the final Test brought another resounding victory. The substitution of the uncapped opener Wayne Philips (no relation to the former Test opener of the same name) for Marsh was less successful. But another newcomer, the fast-medium Paul Reiffel, was preferred to a spinner on the WACA pitch and he assisted in the demolition of India's second innings by Whitney, who returned match figures of 11 for 95. Though India took only four wickets on the first day, they restricted Australia to 222 runs. Once again Boon, who completed his third hundred of the series early on the second day, shored up the innings. Prabhakar, who bowled with great heart, accounted for Boon and Moody in 40 minutes on the second morning. But as the ball lost its shine, the last four wickets added 87 and Healy collected his 1,000th Test run, to go with his 100th Test dismissal earlier in the series. Srikkanth's five catches in the innings, four in bat-pad positions, earned him a fourth share in the Test record for fielders. India's bedrock was a captivating 114 from Tendulkar from 161 balls with 16 fours, the bulk of them square cuts. He came in at 69 for two and was ninth out at 240, after 228 minutes, and a record ninth-wicket stand for India against Australia, of 81, with More. On the third morning, as he ran out of partners, he scored his second 50 from 55 balls. While Hughes and Whitney shared the bowling honours, McDermott's two wickets took him past the series record for an Australian against India, jointly held by Richie Benaud and Alan Davidson with 29. In his second spell of Australia's second innings, Kapil Dev claimed his 400th wicket when Taylor was lbw. With Australia's overall lead just 105, the match was still wide open, until Boon, Jones and Moody - who shared 173 for the fourth wicket - put it out of India's reach. Jones, who had disappointed hitherto, batted discreetly but positively for an unbeaten 150 in 265 balls while Moody, lethal off the front foot, took 101 from 149 balls. India were left a minimum of 107 overs to chase 442. With McDermott enervated by a stiff neck, Srikkanth and Sidhu started briskly, and on the final morning took their stand to 82, India's highest opening partnership of the series. Yet less than two hours after Reiffel broke it with his maiden Test wicket, Australia were winners. Whitney, brought on 40 minutes before lunch, toppled seven batsmen in 8.5 overs, while conceding 26 runs. Five of his victims were caught in the arc between wicket-keeper and gully, as were both of Reiffel's including the prize wicket of Tendulkar. Man of the Match: M. R. Whitney. Attendance: 30,908. Man of the Series: C. J. McDermott. Close of play: First day, Australia 222-4 (D. C. Boon 91*, T. M. Moody 42*); Second day, India 135-5 (S. R. Tendulkar 31*, S. L. V. Raju 1*); Third day, Australia 104-2 (D. C. Boon 35*, D. M. Jones 34*); Fourth day, India 55-0 (Srikkanth 26*, N. S. Sidhu 24*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 4 : 111 v South Africa at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg , 26 Nov 1992 Scorecard : http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63587.html Second Test Match SOUTH AFRICA v INDIA 1992-93 At Johannesburg, November 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. Drawn. Toss: South Africa. Test debut: C. R. Matthews. After four tense, hard-fought days, the match was deprived of the climax it deserved on the fifth by a negative approach from both captains. Two incidents shaped its course as South Africa redeemed an appalling start to their first innings. Rhodes was 28 when umpire Bucknor decided that he had not been run out by a direct hit by Srinath from mid-off. Television showed that Rhodes failed to make his ground by some six inches. Bucknor, who was poorly positioned, declined to call upon the third umpire's replay facilities, though the Indians pleaded with him to do so. Rhodes went on to make 91. The second significant event came when South Africa were reduced to three front-line bowlers: Pringle's eye socket bone was fractured when he top-edged a ball from Srinath into his face. Superb swing bowling from Prabhakar was mainly responsible for South Africa crumbling to 26 for four on what was then a hard, pacy pitch. It later became slower, with only a suspicion of uneven bounce. The scoreline could have been worse: Rhodes gave a hard chance to More off Prabhakar before he scored. Unruffled by this or the run-out controversy, Rhodes shared useful stands with Cronje and McMillan, and was finally leg-before to Kumble after batting with a mixture of perkiness and resolution. McMillan chose his strokes with sound common sense and was even closer to a maiden Test hundred when he was last out, lifting a short ball to long leg. The depleted South African attack, led by McMillan and Matthews, quickly had India in trouble, with Tendulkar providing the only resistance. He made a streaky start against Donald and at ten should have been caught in the slips, but always tried to wrest the initiative. When 33 he became, at 19 years 217 days, the youngest batsman to reach 1,000 Test runs, displacing Kapil Dev (21 years 27 days in 1979-80). Tendulkar was less positive on the third morning but completed his fourth Test hundred shortly after lunch. South Africa had gained a lead of 65, but from the start of their second innings were too slow in consolidating it. A lengthy spell from Kumble never allowed them to break free on the fourth day. Kumble finished with six for 53. He seldom turned the ball much but his brisk top-spin and googlies came through at varying heights out of the rough. Richardson, the night-watchman, stayed two and a half hours for his fifty, but wickets fell when an attempt was finally made to accelerate. India required a further 303 on the fifth day to win. Their lack of ambition became clear when they added only 41 before lunch, with Shastri making three scoring strokes. Early in the afternoon they lost four wickets for five runs: Jadeja, Azharuddin and Shastri all played poor strokes and Tendulkar was beaten by Donald's pace. But Wessels retained defensive field placings as Manjrekar and Amre stood firm. A crowd of 80,000 included 21,000 on the Saturday, when the president of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela, was present, and 26,000 on Sunday.
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 5 : 165 v England at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Madras 11 Feb 1993 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63599.html Second Test INDIA v ENGLAND 1992-93 Toss: India. Test debut: R. J. Blakey. England were well beaten by 11 men and a plate of prawns as India won the match - and with it the series - by an innings and 22 runs. The night before the match Gooch and Gatting had eaten in the Chinese restaurant at the team's hotel; their meal included an extra plate of prawns. Shortly before the start of play Gooch, complaining of sickness and dizziness, was forced to withdraw from the game. Later, after acting-captain Stewart had lost the toss, Gatting and Smith, who had apparently eaten chicken in his room, both left the field feeling ill. There followed considerable debate as to whether the players had ignored the advice they were given about diet. But since the team had previously eaten plenty of both seafood and Chinese food (which is very common in India) with no ill effect, the management decided not to add disciplinary action to the players' troubles. England then started preparing their own lunchtime buffet for the players, consisting of corned beef, baked beans and nan bread served by manager Bob Bennett, physiotherapist David Roberts and chaplain Andrew Wingfield Digby in the dressing-room, known thereafter as Bob's Bistro. This was the third time Gooch had been forced to drop out overseas since he became captain. The effect was predictable. In his absence from the final two Tests in the West Indies in 1989-90, England lost in Barbados and Antigua to surrender a 1-0 lead. They lost again in Brisbane in the First Test of the 1990-91 Ashes series, a defeat from which they never recovered. The sequence continued here after England exacerbated their problems with another piece of muddled selection. In the absence of their most experienced batsman and opener, and with Smith and Gatting both poorly, it seemed obvious to everyone outside the tour selection committee that the fit-again Atherton must play. However, Stewart's reluctance to open the batting, keep wicket and captain the side led them to include Blakey as wicket-keeper and Smith as Stewart's opening partner. Atherton was not even among the four substitutes used on the first day. The pattern of play was much the same as it had been in Calcutta. Sidhu, on the first day, and Tendulkar, on the second, completed excellently-crafted centuries in India's first innings total of 560 for six declared, their highest total against England at home. Tendulkar's six-hour 165 - including 24 fours and a six - was a gem but, had a third umpire, using TV replay, been on hand to review a run-out attempt by Lewis when he was on nine, India might not have made such a conclusive total. Kapil Dev, in his 122nd Test, made 66 not out; when he reached 35 he became the first man to score 5,000 Test runs and take 400 wickets. The lack of penetration in England's bowling was again disappointing. Tufnell, whose omission from the Calcutta Test had caused such controversy, finished wicketless after 41 overs, Salisbury bowled too many long hops and, on a pitch that was playing easily, Lewis, Jarvis and Malcolm posed no threat to the Indian batsmen. England could take a little comfort in decent scores by Stewart, Hick, who was at last beginning to look the part, and Fairbrother, with his first Test fifty. But the loss of six wickets for 63, in the time-honoured fashion of England collapses, meant that they could not avoid the follow-on. After a fifty from Smith, the highlight of the second innings was an exciting maiden Test hundred by Lewis, who decided to attack on the basis that England had nothing to lose, and reached three figures with a six off Raju, shortly before the close of the fourth day, his 25th birthday. The Lewis interlude lasted only 170 minutes and it took India just 35 minutes of the final morning to finish the match. Again the spinners, Kumble, Raju and Chauhan, did the damage, exposing England's leaden-footed lack of technique; as in Calcutta, they took 17 of the 20 wickets. In the second innings the leg-spinner Kumble bowled quite beautifully to take six for 64 as England duly and meekly succumbed to their heaviest defeat by India and only their second by an innings. The previous instance was also at Madras, in 1951-52. Afterwards, Fletcher bemoaned the lack of turning pitches in domestic cricket which meant that England's batsmen were ill-equipped for these conditions. Man of the Match: S. R. Tendulkar. Close of play: First day, India 275-2 (N. S. Sidhu 104*, S. R. Tendulkar 70*); Second day, England 19-0 (R. A. Smith 6*, A. J. Stewart 10*); Third day, England 221-7 (N. H. Fairbrother 38*, P. W. Jarvis 0*); Fourth day, England 231-8 (C. C. Lewis 108*, P. C. R. Tufnell 10*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 6 : 104* v Sri Lanka Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo 27 Jul 1993 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63616.html Second Test SRI LANKA v INDIA 1993-94 Toss: India. Test debut: R. S. Kalpage. India's first win on Sri Lankan soil, and their first in 27 overseas Tests since beating England at Leeds in 1986, came late on the final day, Clinging on after being set an improbable 472 in nine hours, Sri Lanka were doing well enough on the final morning as Aravinda de Silva led them to 180 for three. But the new ball proved the last straw. Prabhakar struck twice in five deliveries and they collapsed to 198 for seven. De Silva - who had become the second Sri Lankan to score 2,000 Test runs in the first innings - threw away his wicket in frustration, after a patient six-hour 93, and soon India and ended an away sequence of ten defeats and 16 draws. Their victory was clouded by rancour over a series of umpiring decisions. The Indians insisted that time and again their own batsmen were given out in doubtful circumstances - notably Kapil Dev, who celebrated his new status as the second-most-capped player in Test history by racing to 35 in 28 balls, only to be judged lbw to a delivery that seemed to be well clear of his stumps - while the Sri Lankans received the benefit of the doubt. But India did not help their case by over-demonstrative appealing - sledging, according to the Sri Lankans - or by Kambli's tearful reluctance to leave the crease when he hoped to score a fourth hundred in consecutive Test innings. Batting first on a green-looking pitch which played fast and true, India were steered to a total of 366 thanks to Kambli's third century on the trot, following his 224 against England and 227 against Zimbabwe. But he fell early on the second morning and, after the last five Indian wickets had tumbled for 14, Sri Lanka were helped to the sound position of 200 for four by the close. Ranatunga dominated a century stand with Tillekeratne, but he added only six on the third day, when Kumble set up an Indian first-innings lead of 112. Sidhu and Prabhakar extended this by 171 - the highest opening partnership for India since Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth put on 200 against Pakistan at Madras in 1986-87. Prabhakar equalled his highest Test score of 95 and next day Sidhu advanced to his fourth Test century, while Tendulkar, with his sixth, gave India the thrust towards the declaration. Kumble kept the Sri Lankan batsmen on a leash while the seamers worked away, but at first the home team seemed capable of achieving the draw. In the event they lost not only the match but 45 per cent of their fees for a dreadfully slow over-rate. Man of the Match: M. Prabhakar. Close of play: First day, India 300-4 ( V. G. Kambli 119*, P. K. Amre 6*); Second day, Sri Lanka 200-4 ( A. Ranatunga 82*, H. P. Tillekeratne 23*), Third day, India 205-2 ( N. S. Sidhu 85*, S. R. Tendulkar 13*); Fourth day, Sri Lanka 86-2 ( A. P. Gurusinha 19*, P. A. De Silva 10*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 7 : 142 v Sri Lanka at KD Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow 18 Jan 1994 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63631.html First Test INDIA v SRI LANKA 1993-94 D. Singh Babu Stadium, Lucknow, January 18, 19, 20, 22. India won by an innings 9 runs. Toss: India. Test debut: N. R. Mongia. The Tourists were hardly prepared for the perils of Test cricket in India - pitches tailored to spin bowling and batsmen adept at piling runs up on them. The home team's start was uninspiring, the openers struggled to find their rhythm against Wickremasinghe, who bowled his heart out on a desperately slow pitch at the world's 72nd Test ground. Not until mid-afternoon, when the assured Tendulkar helped place conditions in perspective, did India resemble the side so used to dominating visiting teams. Sidhu, during a 121-run stand with Tendulkar, was particularly severe on off-spinner Muralitharan, striking him for six of his eight sixes - two hits short of Walter Hammond's Test record of ten sixes against New Zealand in 1932-33. Despite this rough treatment, the bowler never lost heart and was rewarded when Sidhu holed out, failing to clear the fence at long-on. Another century stand, between Tendulkar and Azharuddin, sent India soaring towards 511, the kind of total to prompt early thoughts of an innings victory. Yet Sri Lanka seemed to be ruling out such a possibility as Mahanama, elegantly, and Samaraweera kept the Indians at bay, taking their stand to 120. Kumble looked desperate as he tried to tempt Mahanama into sweeping, but the batsman fell for it, providing the breakthrough for India and a first catch for their new wicket-keeper, Nayan Mongia. In the very next over Samaraweera swept in front of the stumps and missed. Suddenly the floodgates were open, and the rest of the Test became a procession of batsmen. Given the Sri Lankans' propensity to commit themselves to shots even when plagued by doubt, it did not take the spinners long to finish the job. Though three of the top order suspected they were victims of a trigger-happy debutant umpire - Sharma - the visitors were incapable of recovering from such blows. Their second innings subsided so quickly that the fifth day was not required. Kumble, only modestly successful by his own standards with four first-innings wickets, was irresistible in the second. He returned Test-best figures of seven for 59 and his first haul of ten or more in a Test with 11 for 128. This feat he achieved even though his spinning finger had been battered out of shape, through an injury sustained while batting in an earlier game, and though the webbing of his bowling hand had been damaged in the field. Man of the Match: A. Kumble. Close of play: First day, India 269-3 (S. R. Tendulkar 88*, M. Azharuddin 20*); Second day, India 511; Third day, Sri Lanka 197-7 (D. K. Liyanage 6*, S. D. Anurasiri 2*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 8 : 179 v West Indies Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur 1 Dec 1994 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63661.html Second Test INDIA v WEST INDIES 1994-95 At Nagpur, December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Drawn. Toss: India. India's winning steak was finally halted by the determined resistance of Hooper and Adams. But some critics felt Azharuddin had let West Indies off the hook. In the first innings, the Indian batsmen piled up 546, but in the second, when quick runs were needed, they batted circumspectly, delaying the declaration until late on the fifth morning. The home team was unchanged, while West Indies strengthened their batting, bringing in Chanderpaul and Cummins for Dhanraj and Cuffy. But India claimed first use of a decidedly slow pitch and flourished from the start. It was only the fourth time they had scored 500 against West Indies in 64 encounters. Sidhu made his second Test hundred against the West Indians, Tendulkar his first and Azharuddin was only three short when he flicked to backward short leg. Tendulkar's century was the most remarkable. It was the highest of his eight Test hundreds and he reached three figures by hooking Walsh for six. He also hit 24 fours in nearly seven hours. The innings was interrupted twice on the first day: Walsh pulled his team off after a hail of missiles at the deep fielders, culminating in a large guava fruit. After an hour was lost, policemen were stationed facing the crowds at ten-yard intervals and there were no further incidents. India were well-placed to exert pressure on a slow turner and, despite patient fifties from Simmons and Lara, West Indies were well short of the follow-on mark when they lost four for 155. But then Hooper joined the left-hander Adams, who was promoted to break up the spinners' line while Hooper rested after bowling 40 overs for five wickets. Adams used his pads freely as Hooper shrugged off a nervous start to play some sumptuous shots. Their stand raised 133 before three quick wickets fell. The tourists were still 27 from safety when Murray combined with Adams to add 97 in two hours. Adams remained undefeated on 125 after 406 minutes, after Raju picked up his fourth bag of five wickets in three home Tests. Walsh removed Prabhakar and Kambli before his recurring neck injury forced him off, leaving an inexperienced attack to cope with Sidhu and Tendulkar. They had put on 177 on the first day, and added 128 now, but batted with unaccustomed caution. The innings dragged on until just before lunch on the final day. The declaration set West Indies 327 in a minimum of 65 overs and they were in trouble when the spinners removed the openers and Lara for 22. But once again Adams provided stability and Hooper lashed out, with 67 off 89 balls, to break the bowlers' grip. Both fell just before the final 15 overs began but Adams's 162 minutes of stoic defence had killed off the Indians' ambitions and the teams agreed on an early finish. Man of the Match: C. L. Hooper. Close of play: First day, India 230-4 (S. R. Tendulkar 81*); Second day, West Indies 15-1 (P. V. Simmons 1*, A. C. Cummins 0*); Third day, West Indies 305-5 (J. C. Adams 68*, K. L. T. Arthurton 5*); Fourth day, India 95-2 (N. S. Sidhu 44*, S. R. Tendulkar 29*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 9 : 122 v England at Edgbaston, Birmingham 6 Jun 1996 pic from the English tour, not from this century Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63713.html First Cornhill Test ENGLAND v INDIA Michael Henderson Toss: India. Test debuts: R. C. Irani, A. D. Mullally, M. M. Patel; S. B. Joshi, P. L. Mhambrey, B. K. V. Prasad, V. Rathore. In a match of seven debutants, it was England's revamped team - picked by a revamped selection committee - who proved easily superior. The game belonged, above all, to Hussain, recalled after a three-year absence and given the responsibility of England's troublesome No. 3 position. He made his first Test hundred, 128, which enabled England to take a first-innings lead of 99 and win a low-scoring game by eight wickets. Predictably, however, the best batting came from Tendulkar, on the third afternoon: as wickets tumbled around him, he made a century of rare brilliance. Neither he nor Srinath deserved to number among the vanquished but they were undone by the poor efforts of their colleagues, a less than satisfactory pitch and some indifferent umpiring. Cork aside, England's attack was totally changed from the one that allowed the South African tail to snatch the Cape Town Test five months earlier. Malcolm, Martin, Fraser and Watkinson were dropped, along with Stewart and Smith; Mullally of Leicestershire, Irani of Essex and Patel of Kent were the newcomers and Knight, Hussain and Lewis had second chances. The two Lancastrians, Martin and Crawley, were both omitted from England's 13. Azharuddin had chosen to bat, but India were dismissed an hour after tea on the first day for 214. Lewis, rejuvenated by his move to the Oval, took the first wicket, though Cork returned the best figures, four for 61, with Tendulkar among his victims. The medium-pacer Irani, brought on before lunch, found success with his fifth ball when Azharuddin sought runs with his favourite leg flick and saw Knight take a superb catch at short mid-wicket. Atherton had positioned him there for such a stroke, and his deployment of bowlers and fielders alike was impressive throughout. This was Atherton's best match as England captain. Had it not been for Srinath's half-century, India would have struggled to reach 200. They were also in Srinath's debt for his superb spell on the second morning, which had England on the rack. It earned him the wickets of Knight and Thorpe and should have ended Hussain's innings on 14 when the batsman seemed to glove a leg-side catch to Mongia, the wicket-keeper, only to be reprieved by Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire. Thereafter Hussain grew in confidence and went to his century in 193 balls, assisted first by Irani, who struck seven boundaries in a forceful run-a-ball 34, and latterly by Patel and Mullally, who boosted the last two wickets by a crucial 98 runs. Hussain was last out, having batted for 282 minutes. Faced with the task of setting England a testing fourth-innings target, India collapsed to 219. Tendulkar alone stood between them and defeat inside three days. As the European football championships kicked off at Wembley on that Saturday afternoon, the little master from Bombay tried to distract attention by making his ninth Test hundred with a scintillating display of strokes all round the wicket. Before he skied Lewis to Thorpe he scored 122 from 176 balls. The next-best score was Manjrekar's 18 - made with the help of a runner, after he sprained his ankle in the first innings. Lewis, who had retained his place from the one-day internationals, took five wickets in India's second innings. Once again, though, it was Cork who took the spoils, and made headlines. On the first day he waved Kumble goodbye after dismissing him, in a manner that some took to be unnecessary, although coach David Lloyd insisted later that he wanted his players to show aggression. Cork's first wicket in the second innings, that of Rathore, was his 50th in his 11th Test. Within a year of making his Test debut he had become the main attacking bowler in the side, and the only unchallenged bowling selection. Rathore was unconvinced by his dismissal, as were many of those who digested the television replay, which showed that Hick, at second slip, caught the ball as it kissed the turf. Taking in to account a leg-before appeal against Atherton in England's brief second innings, and that early reprieve for Hussain, India had every reason to curse their luck - though Azharuddin chose not to do so. It was a poor game for the Indian captain, who was bowled round his legs for a duck by Mullally as his team batted to save the game on that fatal third day. Mullally ended the match with five wickets, though there was little evidence of his ability to swing the ball back in to the right-hander. Kumble, India's potential match-winner, found his wrist-spin treated with less deference than he is used to and the match ended with Srinath, in a final burst of defiance and frustration, flinging bumpers at Atherton, who saw England home with a careful unbeated half-century. It was all over before lunch on Sunday, having lasted a day longer than the previous year's débâcle against West Indies, but prompting further queries about the suitability of Edgbaston's pitches for Test cricket. The strip used was the second choice, after the one first proposed had been rejected as unsuitable a fortnight earlier. Man of the Match: N. Hussain. Attendance: 45,490; receipts £822,011. Close of play: First day, England 60-0 (N. V. Knight 27*, M. A. Atherton 31*); Second day, India 5-0 (V. Rathore 5*, A. Jadeja 0*); Third day, England 73-1 (M. A. Atherton 9*, N. Hussain 18*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 10 : 177 v England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham 4 Jul 1996 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63715.html Third Cornhill Test ENGLAND v INDIA David Field At Nottingham, July 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. Drawn. Toss: India. Test debut: M. A. Ealham. Reports that showers would seriously disrupt the final Test proved to be incorrect, but the forecast that a flat and slowish pitch would prevent a result was more accurate. The match was duly drawn, although England persevered commendably to dismiss India in 69 overs on the fifth day. India were bowled out 168 ahead, bringing down the curtain on a match graced by the batting artistry of Tendulkar and Ganguly, their precocious left handed discovery. For England, it was marked by the continued success of Hussain in England's problem berth at No. 3, and by Atherton's determined service. The draw was an odds-on favourite before the start, and history also discouraged India's hopes of squaring the series. In 37 series of Tests in England, no visiting team had managed to pull level in the final game after conceding the early advantage. England claimed the series by virtue of their eight-wicket triumph at Birmingham, only their fourth home series win out of the last 14 (excluding two one-off wins over Sri Lanka) since Australia's defeat in 1985. Azharuddin, under pressure to retain the captaincy he had held with distinction since 1990, won the toss for the third time and elected to bat on a cloudy, blustery day. He needed no second look at a solid surface which had driven many a bowler to frustration during the first half of the summer. India replaced the seamer Mhambrey with the left-armer Raju to augment the strength and variety of the spin attack, omitted Jadeja and brought back experienced middle-order batsman Manjrekar, absent at Lord's because of an ankle injury. England fielded the two Kent players Ealham and Patel, instead of Irani and Martin. Irani, along with Salisbury, had been in the 13. The home side quickly claimed the wickets of Rathore, one ball before a half-hour rain delay, and Mongia soon after. But that was no prelude to an Indian collapse, though it threatened when Tendulkar gave a chance before scoring; Atherton failed to hold it at gully. Instead, Tendulkar and the cool, stylish Ganguly settled in to bat beautifully for the rest of the first day and, but the close, the partnership was an unbeaten 254. England bowled tidily, without too much threat, but the pitch was proving to be an old-fashioned Shirtfront as expected. Tendulkar completed his tenth Test hundred, and fourth against England, with 15 fours, while Ganguly joined an elite club formed by West Indians Lawrence Rowe and Alvin Kallicharran, the only batsmen who had previously scored centuries in their first two Test innings. (They had done it in the same series, against New Zealand in 1971-72.) Ganguly took it philosophically, "What's important is how well I do in the rest of my Test career," he said. His aim was to help India bat into the third day, but he made no addition to his overnight 136. In a fine piece of aggressive left-arm bowling, Mullally jammed Ganguly's hand against the bat handle with a sharp lifter. After he received on-field treatment, the next ball was fast and further up. Ganguly played an expansive open-faced drive and was taken at third slip by Hussain. He had batted for six hours and 268 balls. Tendulkar lasted for seven and a half hours, making a superb 177, Manjrekar contributed a solid half-century, then Dravid followed up his 95 on debut with 84, to confirm that discoveries of talent and temperament can still surface in a series defeat. As at Lord's, Dravid's bat had a mellow ring to it and even his defensive strokes had the hallmark of class. Determined bowling had kept India to 521, a formidable total, but less than England had feared. In reply, they reached 32 from 11 overs that evening and the opening pair were doubtless pleased to walk off together; it had been tough going, despite the quality of the pitch. Atherton had escaped on nought when Dravid let a slip chance elude him (like Tendulkar, he was to make the opposition pay dearly) and Stewart did his fair share of playing and missing against India's skilled new-ball partners, Srinath and Prasad. Atherton gave another hard chance to Azharuddin at slip on 34; Stewart, on the other hand, looked unlucky to be given caught behind by Sri Lankan umpire K. T. Francis after a hard-fought fifty. That brought in Hussain, who epitomised the confident batsman. Driving fluently and enjoying the feel-good factor, he scored 25 from his first 16 balls and completed his second hundred in three Tests, although some Indian fieldsmen were convinced he had been caught behind off Tendulkar when 74. Atherton had reached his tenth Test century - his fourth at Nottingham - 90 minutes after lunch, without ever looking convincing. He was beaten a fair number of times, but stuck to his task throughout the third day. England had averted the follow-on just before the close, consigning the match to stalemate. They had lost only the one wicket, though they were effectively deprived of another when Hussain fractured his right index finger in the last over. He failed a net try-out on Monday morning and retired hurt on 107. Atherton remained, reaching 160, his second-highest Test score, in seven and a half hours before being taken at slip. Thorpe lacked his usual fluency and Hick laboured long and fruitlessly, but Ealham stuck 51 on debut and the tail secured a lead of 43. This had little consequence, though Ealham's promising start continued when his lively seam bowling picked up four wickets in India's second innings. Tendulkar had time to strike a polished 74, and Ganguly was dismissed by Cork halfway to history, in pursuit of a unique third hundred in his first three Test innings. Man of the Match: S. C. Ganguly. Attendance: 37,589; receipts £740,810. Men of the Series: England - N. Hussain; India - S. C. Ganguly. Close of play: First day, India 287-2 (S. C. Ganguly 136*, S. R. Tendulkar 123*); Second day, England 32-0 (M. A. Atherton 21*, A. J. Stewart 10*); Third day, England 322-1 (M. A. Artherton 145*, N. Hussain 107*); Fourth day, England 550-7 (D. G. Cork 24*, M. M. Patel 22*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 11 : 169 v South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town , 2 Jan 1997 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63737.html Second Test Match SOUTH AFRICA v INDIA Toss: South Africa. Test debut: D. Ganesh. A stand of 222 between Tendulkar and Azharuddin not only averted another abbreviated Test but illuminated the game with its sheer brilliance and aggression in the face of adversity. It occupied just 40 overs. Azharuddin, scoring 115 in 110 balls, with 19 fours and a six, provided the major share. But Tendulkar kept going to save India from following on and was last out, after nearly six hours, to an outstanding catch by Bacher at deep mid wicket. India were 58 for five when Tendulkar and Azharuddin came together, replying to South Africa's highest total since isolation. It included three centuries. The first, from Kirsten, took nearly five hours; chastened by escapes at nought and ten, he avoided risks, yet batted positively, keeping in step with Cullinan during a partnership of 114. Srinath and Prasad had bowled splendidly when fresh but, once they tired, the attack was innocuous, and a firm, true pitch encouraged aggression. Kirsten was eventually run out off a no-ball and early on the second day South Africa, at 299 for six, were not safe. But the limited Indian attack stalled as McMillan and Richardson put on 83 before the No. 9, Klusener, launched a spectacular century - 102 in 100 balls, the fastest recorded in terms of balls by a South African Test player - with 13 fours and two pulled sixes. Klusener and McMillan, who also reached a valuable hundred, put on 147, breaking a 94-year-old South African eighth-wicket record. Klusener had not finished. Before the close, he ran out Raman and had experimental opener Dravid playing on. Night-watchman Prasad lasted only one ball against Adams. In the first over next morning, Ganguly steered Donald to second slip. Laxman, after an uneasy half-hour, deflected Pollock down the leg side. That was the start of the Tendulkar-Azharuddin stand, whose tone belied India's desperate plight. Azharuddin, free of the responsibilities of the captaincy, played the more exotic - and often unorthodox - shots; Tendulkar was more orderly, but attacked in a grand manner. In a six-over spell after lunch, Klusener was hit for 30 and South Africa were forced on to the defensive. Azharuddin constantly took risks and, with the stand at 197, Cronje held a skimming drive at extra cover, but, landing on his elbows, lost his grip. A run later, Tendulkar played a square cut to gully which a juggling Hudson muffed. But an over or two of restraint caused Azharuddin to fret, and he ran himself out with India 50 short of saving the follow-on. Tendulkar averted it with two wickets standing. Strangely, one of the most enjoyable of all Test cricketing afternoons was also a short one. The lunch interval was extended by 15 minutes because the early part of the break had been taken up by a lengthy presentation of the players to President Mandela, who warmly expressed his support for cricket's contribution to the new South Africa. In extreme heat the fielders needed all the rest they could get. India's recovery continued as they captured three wickets for only 33, but partnerships between Hudson and Cullinan and then McMillan and Pollock played them out of the match. Cronje's declaration, 426 ahead, left South Africa a minimum of 118 overs to bowl India out, but they needed only 67. The openers - this time, Raman and Mongia - were again easy meat and all the middle order played careless shots. Man of the Match: B. M. McMillan. Attendance: 74,009. Close of play: First day, South Africa 280-4 (W. J. Cronje 35*, B. M. McMillan 13*); Second day, India 29-3 (S. C. Ganguly 19*, S. R. Tendulkar 1*); Third day, South Africa 24-2 (A. C. Hudson 7*, L. Klusener 10*); Fourth day, India 52-3 (S. C. Ganguly 11*, S. R. Tendulkar 6*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 12 : 143 v Sri Lanka at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo , 2 Aug 1997 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63762.html First Test Match Sri Lanka v India Toss: India. Test debut: Sri Lanka - D.P.M.de S.Jayawardena; India N.M.Kulkarni. On the fifth and final morning, crowds gathered to see a Sri Lankan assault the peak of Test cricket. West Indian Brian Lara's Test record of 375 was under threat from another left-hander, two months his junior: Sanath Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya began the day on 326 and confidently moved to 340 with three fours and two singles. Then an off-break from Chauhan bounced a little more than he expected; he popped a simple catch to silly point to end his hopes of beating Lara. The disappointment was alleviated to some extent by Sri Lanka establishing two other world records. Jayasuriya and Mahanama put on 576, the highest partnership for any Test wicket and only one run short of all-time first-class record; and Sri Lanka's total of 952 for six was the highest in Test history. The liaison between Jayasuriya and Mahanama began at the start of the third day, when they added 283 runs together. They carried on throughout the fourth day, adding a further 265. The partnership eventually ended on the morning of the final day, when Mahanama went back to a leg-break from Kumble and was given out lbw for 225, his maiden double-hundred. He had batted 753 minutes, facing 561 balls, and hit 28 fours. Jayasuriya and Mahanama became the second pair of batsmen to bat throughout two consecutive Test days, the first being West Indians Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell, against England at Bridgetown in 1959-60 - but in that case an hour was lost to rain. On this occasion, the Sri Lankan pair surpassed not only the previous Test-best for the second wicket, 451 between Australians Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman, against England in 1934, but also the previous highest for any Test wicket, 467 for the third between New Zealanders Andrew Jones and Martin Crowe against Sri Lanka in 1990-91. Only Vijay Hazare and Gul Mahomed had bettered their eventual 576, adding 577 for Baroda's fourth wicket against Holkar in 1946-47. Losing Mahanama shook Jayasuriya's concentration; he left at the same score, 615, two balls later, having made 340, the fourth highest innings in Test cricket after Lara's 375, Sobers's 365 not out and Len Hutton's 364. In a chanceless display of 799 minutes - the second longest innings in first-class cricket, after Hanif Mohammad's 970 minutes batting for Pakistan against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1957-58 - Jayasuriya faced 578 balls and hit two sixes and 36 fours. He was also the first Sri Lankan to score a first-class triple-century. He was applauded by all the Indian fielders and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Even after the double dismissal, India's bowlers had no respite. De Silva, Ranatunga and debutant Mahela Jayawardene continued to flay the bowling. De Silva completed his 12th Test century, batting 293 minutes and hitting 16 fours; with Ranatunga, he added 175 for the fourth wicket in 150 minutes. Yet another century stand - 131 for the fifth wicket between De Silva and Jayawardene - took Sri Lanka past England's Test record total of 903 for seven against Australia in 1938. It was a terrible toss to win. "We should have batted second," said Indian captain Tendulkar. Even so, his team had dominated the first two days of the Test, piling up an apparently impressive 537 for eight - their highest total in Sri Lanka. After Sidhu had completed his eighth Test century on the opening day, Tendulkar and Azharuddin put on 221 in 242 minutes - a record for India's fourth wicket against Sri Lanka. They, too, scored hundreds: Azharuddin's was his 18th in Tests, putting him ahead of Dilip Vengsarkar and in sole second place in the Indian list of century-makers, behind Sunil Gavaskar's all-time record of 34. The second day ended with debutant left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni becoming the 12th bowler and first Indian to take a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket: he had Atapattu caught behind by Mongia. It was to be last wicket for twelve and a half hours. This remarkable Test produced 1,489 runs for only 14 wickets, with both teams batting only once on a pitch to break bowlers' hearts. Man of the Match: S.T.Jayasuriya. Close of play: First day, India 280-3 (S.R.Tendulkar 65*, M.Azharuddin 18*); Second day, Sri Lanka 39-1 (S.T.Jayasuriya 12*); Third day, Sri Lanka 322-1 (S.T.Jayasuriya 175*, R.S.Mahanama 115*); Fourth day, Sri Lanka 587-1 (S.T.Jayasuriya 326*, R.S.Mahanama 211*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 13 : 139 v Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo , 9 Aug 1997 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63763.html 2nd Test Match Sri Lanka v India 1997-98 Craig Cozier At Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, August 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Drawn. Toss: India. Test debut D. S. Mohanty. India's deposed captain Azharuddin came to their rescue with a fighting unbeaten century, to force a draw in the Second Test and ensure the short series was shared 0-0. The Sinhalese Sports Club pitch proved somewhat less unfriendly to the bowlers than Premadasa. Tendulkar called correctly once again; this time, he put the opposition in and bowled them out for 332, with his three fast bowlers sharing eight wickets between them. Most impressive was 21-year-old Debasis Mohanty, the first Test player from the state of Orissa. Among his collection of four wickets were the prize scalps of Jayasuriya, Mahanama and Aravinda de Silva, who batted just over six hours for his 13th Test century. When India replied, Tendulkar also scored a 13th century - having taken 55 Tests to de Silva's 63 - benefiting from a dropped catch on 34. With the left-hander Ganguly, he put together 150 for the fifth wicket. But after Pushpakumara had Tendulkar caught at extra cover, off-spinner Muralitharan ran through the lower order, taking three for eight to finish with four for 99. Ganguly was last out for a chanceless, Test-best 147, having batted for 426 minutes, reaching the boundary on 19 occasions and clearing it twice. He steered India to a first-innings lead of 43. Jayasuriya and de Silva resumed their dominance of the Indian bowling, sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 218 in 211 minutes, a Sri Lankan record against any country. In another chanceless display, Jayasuriya hit 21 fours and two sixes in 419 minutes. He faced only 226 balls and, at one stage, was in line to beat the fastest Test double-century recorded in terms of balls - 220, by England's Ian Botham against India in 1982. But he missed his chance and then, one short of the double-hundred, he was bowled off his pads. Earlier in the day, at 85, he had become the first batsman to reach 1,000 Test runs in 1997. De Silva scored a century in each innings for the second time in five months; going back to the series against Pakistan in April, he had scored six hundreds in successive Test innings in Colombo. After a shaky start, when he almost skied a catch to mid-off and was then bowled by a Kuruvilla no-ball, he batted for 267 minutes, hitting 13 fours in his 120. Ranatunga set India a target of 373 off a minimum of 103 overs, but they slid to 138 for four by mid-afternoon of the final day. Then Azharuddin, helped by some poor Sri Lankan catching - they missed him at 12, 40 and 51 - saw India through to a draw with an unbeaten 108. Ganguly helped him add 110 for the fifth wicket to put the game beyond Sri Lanka's reach. Man of the Match: P. A. de Silva. Man of the Series: S. T. Jayasuriya.
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 14 : 148 v Sri Lanka @ Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, 3 Dec 1997 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63777.html Third Test Match India v Sri Lanka At Mumbai, December 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Drawn. Toss: Sri Lanka. India held the upper hand but once again could not produce the incisive bowling to convert their advantage into victory on a tense final day. Sent in, they slipped to 55 for two before two massive partnerships involving Ganguly, promoted above the out-of-touch Tendulkar, set up a formidable total. With Dravid, he put on 160 to grab the initiative; then he added a dazzling 256 with Tendulkar, an Indian fourth-wicket Test record. Dravid fell in the nineties for the second time running, edging Ranatunga to first slip, but Ganguly followed up his success earlier in the series with another scintillating century, his fifth in Tests. He reached three figures early on the second day, and went on to a Test-best 173, lasting eight hours 36 minutes and 361 balls, with 25 fours and two sixes. Tendulkar, who had laboured 71 minutes scoring eight on the first day, rediscovered his touch to match his partner stroke for stroke. He moved from 87 to 99 with successive sixes off Dharmasena and completed his 14th Test century two balls later; on the way, he brought up his 4,000th run in 58 Tests, and he was only just short of 1,000 runs in 1997, a target he reached in the next innings. But the loss of Ganguly and Tendulkar, in the space of four runs, generated a late collapse that saw seven fall for 41. Launching Sri Lanka's reply, Jayasuriya raced to his fifty in 41 balls with nine fours. He fought an intriguing battle with Srinath, lashing him for eight fours but also receiving blows to helmet, shoulder and glove. He was caught at slip aiming a big swipe to leg off leg-spinner Kumble just before the close. Batting seemed more leisurely next day, with Atapattu and night-watchman Dharmasena carefully adding 115 before both fell to Chauhan's off-breaks. Atapattu spent almost an hour in the nineties before prodding a catch to silly point. However, Aravinda de Silva struck another exciting fifty before he succumbed to Chauhan. Wicket-keeper Lanka de Silva was smashed in the face by a bouncer from Srinath which broke through the grille on his helmet; the wound on his left cheek required ten stitches. Srinath would have been more satisfied by his 100th Test wicket- in 30 matches - when he bowled Wickremasinghe to finish off Sri Lanka, 151 behind. India's quest for quick runs was paced by Dravid and Sidhu, who put on 88 in almost even time. For the 13th time in his 19 Tests, Dravid reached a half-century, but again he fell short of adding to his only hundred. The middle order passed through quickly and Dharmasena secured his second five-wicket haul in Tests. Sri Lanka were set 333 in 94 overs, and had high hopes when they reached 58 without loss. But wickets began to fall, that of Aravinda de Silva in controversial circumstances. He protested that his catcher, Chauhan, had moved back from square leg while Srinath was on his run-up to deliver the arranged bouncer, something which umpire Bucknor had noticed and checked when it happened a few minutes earlier. But, despite a wearing pitch and fading light, Sri Lanka stood firm until play was called off with 12 overs remaining. Man of the Match: S. C. Ganguly. Man of the Series: S. C. Ganguly. Close of play: First day, India 247-3 (S. C. Ganguly 92*, S. R. Tendulkar 8*); Second day, Sri Lanka 66-1 (M. S. Atapattu 15*, H. D. P. K. Dharmasena 0*); Third day, Sri Lanka 286-5 (P. A. De Silva 48*, H. P. Tillekeratne 4*); Fourth day, Sri Lanka 6-0 (S. T. Jayasuriya 1*, M. S. Atapattu 5*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 15 : 155* v Australia MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai , 6 Mar 1998 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63794.html First Test Match India v Australia Toss: India. Test debuts: Harvinder Singh; G. R. Robertson. The head-to-head contest between Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne was the key to this opening encounter. Warne's quick conquest of Tendulkar in the first innings gave Australia the initial advantage. But Tendulkar retaliated so devastatingly in the second, scoring 155 not out, that India were able to declare with a lead of 347, and 105 overs to bowl Australia out on a spinners' pitch. They had three men out overnight and won in comfort on the final afternoon. On the first day, Tendulkar had been as much a victim of Warne's guile as of his own daring. He drove his first ball with scorching power past the bowler. But the fifth dipped as he rushed forward, and turned to take the edge of his flailing bat; Taylor completed a marvellous slip catch. In the second innings, however, when Tendulkar scored his third and highest century in seven Tests against Australia, he was as severe on Warne as on the rest. Warne followed up his first-innings four for 85 with a deflating one for 122. Tendulkar's belligerence was awesome and his shot-placement enthralling. Both sides batted erratically at their first attempt. After an opening stand of 122 between Sidhu and Mongia, three Indian wickets went down for eight and the last five for ten. They were saved because Dravid batted four hours and built respectable stands with Azharuddin and Kumble. On a bare pitch of little pace, the quick bowlers could only contain. But it readily offered purchase to spin and was so generous with lift that Mongia was wearing a helmet to keep to Kumble by the second day. Warne and the tall debutant off-spinner Gavin Robertson skilfully exploited the batsmen's indiscretions. Each picked up four wickets; Robertson struck back admirably after being severely mauled by Sidhu in his maiden Test spell. In reply, Australia stumbled to 137 for six: only Mark Waugh, who lasted three hours, batted with distinction. They were hauled back into the game by the indomitable Healy. He made a fighting 90, and put on 96 with Robertson, splendidly accomplished for a No. 10. They looked so much at ease as they set up a lead of 71 that the pitch seemed to have dozed off. This impression stayed when India resumed on the third evening. Warne had already been softened up by Sidhu before Tendulkar came in at 115 for two. He and Dravid almost doubled that. Then, when Australia rather fortuitously prised Dravid out, Azharuddin joined Tendulkar to pound a wilting attack for another 127 runs in even time, a stand reminiscent of their epic in Cape Town 14 months earlier. In all, Tendulkar batted for 286 minutes and 191 balls, and struck 14 fours and four sixes. Azharuddin's declaration gave Australia 15 overs on the fourth evening, in which India grabbed three wickets. Slater drove expansively at Srinath and played on; Kumble had Blewett caught at silly point; and Taylor bottom-edged a pull on to his pad and was caught on the ricochet. These disasters extinguished Australia's hopes of winning. But a calm start on the final morning did raise their prospects for survival before four wickets fell for 42 runs. All four batsmen looked displeased and television suggested three decisions were harsh and the fourth dubious. The umpires did have a difficult task with the ball turning the fielders clustered round the bat; referee van der Merwe, who had reprimanded Mongia for excessive appealing earlier, took no action now, attributing the Australians' reactions to more disappointment. But with seven down at lunch, Australia were sunk. Again, Healy batted as if to gag the proverbial fat lady; he was undefeated after an hour and a half when Kumble completed victory with his eighth wicket of the match. Man of the Match: S. R. Tendulkar. Close of play: First day, India 232-5 (R. Dravid 42*, A. Kumble 19*); Second day, Australia 193-7 (I. A. Healy 31*, S. K. Warne 13*); Third day, India 100-1 (N. S. Sidhu 55*, R. Dravid 18*); Fourth day, Australia 31-3 (P. R. Reiffel 0*). Tendulkar outwits Warne One team's champion faces his opposite number with the game hanging by a thread Ian Chappell November 15, 2009 It's rare enough that in the middle of the fourth day a Test match is evenly poised. To then have one team's champion facing his opposite number with the game hanging by a thread is heaven for a cricket fan. That's the way it happened in Chennai in 1998. Sachin Tendulkar was facing Shane Warne with India and Australia both battling for supremacy. The defining moment came just after lunch, when Warne went round the wicket with Tendulkar having just passed his fifty. In the lead up to the Test, Tendulkar had approached former Indian allrounder Ravi Shastri and asked for advice on what to do when Warne adopted this ploy. Shastri told Tendulkar: "You must find an attacking method to combat Warne when he comes round the wicket." Tendulkar then spent four days in the nets with a spot outside leg stump scuffed and former Indian leggie L Sivaramakrishnan bowling round the wicket into the footmarks. When Warne made his move round the wicket, Tendulkar took to his offerings like a kid offered a lolly-shop gift voucher. A brace of sixes and fours from lofted sweep/pull shots to the midwicket region convinced Warne to abort this tactic. Tendulkar's preparatory work had proved to be a masterstroke. Tendulkar won the battle and India went on to win the war by 179, just a few runs in excess of the maestro's second innings contribution of 155 not out. This was a battle of the champions to savour.
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 16 : 177 v Australia at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 25 Mar 1998 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63796.html Third Test Match India v Australia Toss: India. Test debuts: Harbhajan Singh; A. C. Dale, D. S. Lehmann. Few Tests - at least in the modern era of covered pitches - have ended decisively after both sides have scored 400 in the first innings, and fewer still inside four days to boot. Though India batted poorly the second time, the positive approach of both teams contributed to the speedy finish. Australia's victory was especially laudable given their growing injury list. Steve Waugh, their staunchest batsman, had not recovered after the Second Test and was replaced by newcomer Darren Lehmann. Reiffel and Wilson had returned home for treatment and Damien Fleming, who had been flown out, fell ill; Adam Dale, a fast-medium bowler, filled the vacancy. India had one fitness problem, but a major one: Srinath had a side strain, so Harvinder Singh returned. India also omitted Chauhan and picked another off-spinner, 17-year-old Harbhajan Singh. Although India, batting first on a slow pitch, formed only two substantial partnerships, they ran up 424 in a little over four sessions. Impetus and substance came from Sidhu, who hit eight fours and three sixes, and then Tendulkar, who scored 177 out of 281 added while he was in, with 29 fours and three sixes. He put on 139 with an indisposed Azharuddin, who was, by his standards, subdued. But Tendulkar was impossible to contain, especially on the second morning, when he scored 60 in 64 balls. He fell to his own excesses, when he tried to hoist a straight ball from Dale to mid-wicket and was bowled. Dale had earlier accounted for Ganguly, who was suspended for one match after showing his disapproval when given lbw. Taylor called on seven bowlers, but depended heavily on Kasprowicz, who bowled a fuller length than previously, and Warne, who bowled well even though the pitch was short of pace and bounce. Warne's dismissal of Dravid - which made him Test cricket's most successful spinner, carrying him past Lance Gibbs's 309 wickets - was a classic. The ball drifted and dipped on to leg stump, then spun away to hit off. Minutes earlier, he had bowled Sidhu, and he added Mongia through a magnificent catch at cover by Ponting. Australia replied with urgency matching India's, and the pattern of their innings was remarkably similar; they, too, had only three major contributions, with Mark Waugh's delightful 153 not out the highest. The fact that Waugh had a gastric disorder added to the merit of his innings. He batted responsibly, yet was free with all manner of strokes, hitting 13 fours and four sixes. Lehmann, who joined him at an awkward 143 for three, was admirably unbothered for a debutant, and made 52 with élan. Earlier, Taylor, caught behind square-cutting, and Blewett, bowled allowing for non-existent turn, had failed again. But Slater, using his feet to the spinners, excelled at last with a boisterous 91 off 117 balls, including 15 fours and two sixes. It helped that, without Srinath, most of India's attack was mediocre. Kumble, who took six for 98, was both hostile and economical, however, and young Harbhajan, fortified by an early wicket, bravely faced the aggression of Slater and Waugh. Azharuddin took his 100th catch in his 91st Test. Beginning their second innings after tea, just 24 ahead, India finished the third day on 99 for three wickets, all lost in search of quick runs. Within 45 minutes next morning, Kasprowicz swung the balance in Australia's favour. He caught and bowled Tendulkar with a slower ball and bowled Azharuddin with a yorker, throwing the Indians into disarray; later, he returned to rout the tail. Australia were left 194 to win, and their openers knocked off 91 of them. Taylor ended a dreadful series in style, with an accomplished 102 not out that guaranteed a consolation victory. Man of the Match: M. S. Kasprowicz. Man of the Series: S. R. Tendulkar. Close of play: First day, India 290-4 (S. R. Tendulkar 117*, S. C. Ganguly 17*); Second day, Australia 209-3 (M. E. Waugh 58*, D. S. Lehmann 35*); Third day, India 99-3 (S. R. Tendulkar 27*, M. Azharuddin 4*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 17 : 113 v New Zealand at Basin Reserve, Wellington, 26 Dec 1998 Scorecard:http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63826.html Second Test New Zealand v India 1998-99 At Wellington, December 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. New Zealand won by four wickets. Toss: India. Test debut: M. D. Bell. It was just after Christmas, but India rather overdid the gifts. Too many of their wickets were easily taken, their bowlers' line was inconsistent and they put down several chances. It was only a valiant century from Azharuddin, and another more violent one from Tendulkar, that kept them on terms up till the final morning. The pitch, once it had lost its early freshness, was ideal; the balance between bat and ball was reflected in frequent changes of fortune, some dramatic. India won the toss, but that soon proved no advantage. Delivering from close to the stumps, Doull kept an admirable line and used the wind to swing the ball menacingly. In 11 overs, India were 16 for four, all to Doull. After he took his sweater, batting became easier. The other bowlers could not match him, the pitch became less frisky, and India's finest batsmen, Tendulkar and Azharuddin, were together. It seemed a different game as they added 83 in 20 overs. But Doull was back in the afternoon and, without looking quite as deadly, picked up three more. Nash eventually broke Doull's monopoly, claiming Srinath to leave India 149 for eight. But in Prasad, Azharuddin at last found an ally and, patiently waiting for the bad ball, he completed his 21st Test century before running out of partners. Doull's final figures were seven for 65, the fourth best ever for New Zealand. MOST WICKETS FOR NEW ZEALAND IN A TEST INNINGS 9-52 R. J. Hadlee v Australia at Brisbane 1985-86 7-23 R. J. Hadlee v India at Wellington 1975-76 7-52 C. Pringle v Pakistan at Faisalabad 1990-91 7-65 S. B. Doull v India at Wellington 1998-99 7-74 B. R. Taylor v West Indies at Bridgetown 1971-72 7-74 B. L. Cairns v England at Leeds 1983 India's total was a moderate 208, but New Zealand lost seven wickets catching up. Dravid, leaping at short leg, took a phenomenal catch to dismiss McMillan, but there were also several misses. Although the beneficiaries did not profit much, the extra time it took to finally dismiss them again added to the workload of India's limited attack. Nash and Vettori exploited their weariness to add 137, a New Zealand eighth-wicket record, batting until just before lunch on the third day, when Vettori was beaten in the air by Tendulkar. Nash was left undefeated after almost five hours. India lost three wickets, two to wanton shots, clearing the arrears. But Tendulkar remained rampant, if not at his most fluent, reaching his hundred off 123 balls, and Azharuddin was quietly assured. Tendulkar, however, did not play himself in against the new ball after lunch, and was caught top-edging a cut. Azharuddin was unlucky to be given out caught off his pad, and New Zealand's final target was 213. That did not look easy, considering that Wiseman had got one to turn and bounce to remove Ganguly on the fourth morning. Leg-spinner Kumble did take two wickets that evening and, at the close, India seemed the likely winners. New Zealand were 73 for four - effectively five as Astle had retired, his hand fractured by Srinath. The night-watchman went to the fifth ball of the last day - but that was the nearest India got to winning. Their heads dropped as McMillan and Cairns settled. Careful but positive, they too added 137 and were two runs from victory when Cairns ladled what he intended as the winning hit down cover's throat. Nash hit the next ball to the boundary. Man of the Match: S. B. Doull. Close of play: First day, New Zealand 52-1 (Horne 16*, Fleming 27*); Second day, New Zealand 290-7 (Nash 56*, Vettori 35*); Third day, India 179-3 (Ganguly 47*, Tendulkar 42*); Fourth day, New Zealand 73-4 (McMillan 17*, Wiseman 0*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 18 : 136 v Pakistan at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, 28 Jan 1999 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63828.html Chennai applauds Pakistan It was heartbreak for India, but the crowd at the Chidambaram Stadium saw it differently Sambit Bal July 26, 2009 Chennai, 31 January 1999 Every once in a while, there are moments in sport that transcend the action on the field and yet help establish the very essence of sport by carrying it beyond the confines of nationalism, and indeed victory and defeat. By all standards the first Test of the 1998-99 series between India and Pakistan was going to be remembered as a classic even without the final touch. It see-sawed for four days: bowled out for 238 on the first day, Pakistan struck back, restricting India to 254. Then Shahid Afridi threatened to take the match beyond India's pale with a violent 141 before Venkatesh Prasad engineered the most sensational of collapses, which sunk Pakistan from 275 for 4 to 286 all out. But at 82 for 5 before lunch on the fourth day, it all seemed over for India - barring Sachin Tendulkar, of course. With stubborn support from Nayan Mongia, Tendulkar chipped away at the target, initially nudging and pushing, and then with a flurry of dazzling strokes. Mongia lost his head, and his wicket, when India were 53 short, but it was the dismissal of a visibly tired Tendulkar, struggling with a back injury, that swung the match for Pakistan. They claimed the last four wickets for four runs and won by 12 runs. The series had begun under a cloud of uncertainty, with Indian fundamentalists threatening to disrupt Pakistan's first tour to India in 12 years. Diplomatic relations between the two countries had been *****ly at best, and all it needed was a small incident for the tour to be called off. But just as the security forces were getting in to position to tackle any unpleasantness that may have arisen, the crowd in Chennai, stunned at first by the turn of events, rose to their feet and began to clap. It wasn't delirious or frenzied, but measured and sustained. The Pakistan team immediately took their cue and ran a victory lap around the ground. For anyone with any experience of India-Pakistan cricket, this was a deeply moving, even seminal, moment. Five years later the echoes were still being heard - in the National Stadium in Karachi. The last straw - Tendulkar goes, India go Electrifying passages revisits ten great passages of play that exemplify the intensity and passion of the rivalry between India and Pakistan ... At 254 for 6 on the last afternoon, India needed only 17 to win with Tendulkar still at the crease. But then he mistimed a lofted drive and holed out and, as the shadows lengthened, Pakistan ran through the tail to win by 12 runs. Moin Khan Because he was such a big player and in awesome form at the time, we were all pretty sure that Sachin was going to win the game for them. But as soon as we got him out, it became obvious to us that we would win - in those days India's reliance on him was much greater than it is now. After Sachin was out, we had a meeting where Akram led the way, telling everyone that one final effort was all that was needed and that the match was ours. Yes, when we got him out the target was still very gettable - 17 runs with three wickets in hand - but Saqlain Mushtaq was bowling so well at the time. He was ideal, really, because he was very tight, but aggressive as well. Because of that we were always confident. The biggest boost was the spirit that we got from Sachin's dismissal. After every over, Wasim would have a team meeting and really inspire everyone. The fielders became really focused and involved in the game. All the close-in fielders really applied the pressure as well, always having a chirp, you know: "You'll never get the runs, no matter what you do," or words to that effect. Javagal Srinath's wicket - the last one - when he played a defensive shot and the ball spun back to dislodge the bail, sparked off the most amazing emotions, of course. I had missed stumping Sachin a little earlier off Saqlain, so it was a big relief for me as well. Moin made 60 in the first innings, and missed stumping Tendulkar when he was on 91. Interviewed by Osman Samiuddin. Sunil Joshi Sachin and I had shared a good partnership and were getting close to the target. Sachin was experiencing acute pain and I told him to just stay in while I went for the big hits. But he decided it would be better if he went for the shots. He smashed two successive fours off Saqlain before attempting another big hit and getting out. The ball was reversing quite a bit by then and I was standing outside leg stump while facing Wasim. Even so, it was nearly impossible to handle the swing. Anil Kumble was out to Wasim soon and I knew then that it was up to me. I decided to go after Saqlain and with only one fielder inside the circle and two balls left in the over, I tried to push a single and retain the strike. But my bat got stuck in my pads and I lobbed a simple return catch back to the bowler. The tension was just too much and Saqlain made it tougher for us by racing through his overs and not allowing us to take a breather. It was a combination of panicky batting and fantastic bowling that decided the game. Joshi made eight with one six in the chase, 25 in the first innings, and took a wicket. Interviewed by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan. MATCH REPORT First Test India v Pakistan 1998-1999 Toss: Pakistan. Test debut: S. Ramesh. The first Test between India and Pakistan for nine years began amid massive security, after vandalism by Hindu extremists had forced the Indian Board to transfer the match from Delhi to Chennai. The Chidambaram Stadium was guarded by 3,000 police and military officials. Well before the end of the game though, the talk was not of politics but of thrilling cricket. A nail-biting finish on the fourth day saw India, chasing 271, slump to 82 for five - two of the wickets controversially given out by umpire Dunne. When Tendulkar and Mongia combined to add 136 for the sixth wicket, however, they seemed to be on their way to victory. Then Mongia was caught for 52. Still Tendulkar kept going, despite a back strain, and India were only 17 from their target when he holed out at mid-off, trying to hit Saqlain Mushtaq out of the ground. He had batted 405 minutes and scored 136, his 18th Test hundred, including 18 fours. But India's last three wickets added only four more runs; Saqlain finished them off with five for 93, giving him ten for 187 in the match. The Pakistanis bowed to the ground in prayer and embarked on a lap of honour, to a standing ovation from the Chennai crowd, whose sporting behaviour won much praise. On the opening day, Pakistan chose to bat and were struggling at 91 for five. They fought back through Yousuf Youhana and Moin Khan, who both hit fifties. Wasim Akram added a lusty 38 before Kumble polished off the tail for figures of six for 70. Ramesh, who was making his Test debut on his home ground, and Laxman put on a brisk 48 for India that evening, but both were dismissed by Wasim within half an hour of play resuming. Then Saqlain took the first of his 20 wickets in this series when his tantalising length accounted for Tendulkar; the batsman dashed down the wicket, mis-hit and scooped a catch to backward point for a third-ball duck. But Dravid and Ganguly helped India towards a narrow 16-run lead before the spinners finished them off. Shahid Afridi took the last three wickets with his leg-breaks, and the third day belonged to him as a batsman. Best known for hitting a 37-ball hundred in a one-day international but playing only his second Test, he disproved the theory that he was merely a limited-overs man by batting more than five hours for 141, striking 21 fours and three sixes, helped mainly by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Salim Malik. At 275 for four, Pakistan looked impregnable. But after tea, six wickets fell for 11. Once Joshi had removed Malik, Prasad had an amazing spell in which he picked up five wickets in 18 balls without conceding a run; he finished with a Test-best six for 33. That left India needing 271, with the odds against them; their best fourth-innings total to win a home Test was 256 for eight against Australia in 1964-65. Thanks to Tendulkar's century, they almost got there, but Pakistan were victors by a mere 12 runs. Referee Cammie Smith later warned Pakistan captain Wasim about the incessant appealing by close fielders, but even he admitted: It was such a marvellous match you could understand them getting a little carried away. Man of the Match: S. R. Tendulkar. Close of play: First day, India 48-0 (Ramesh 30*, Laxman 18*); Second day, Pakistan 34-1 (Shahid Afridi 16*, Ijaz Ahmed 11*); Third day, India 40-2 (Dravid 8*, Tendulkar 20*).
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 19 124* v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC), 24 Feb 1999 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63831.html Match Report Asian Test Championship : Sri Lanka v India 1998-99 Sa'adi Thawfeeq At Sinahlese Sports Club, Colombo, February 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Drawn. Sri Lanka 4pts, India 5pts. Toss: Sri Lanka. Test debuts: P. D. R. L. Perera, K. E. A. Upashantha, A. Nehra. For India, their trip to Colombo meant a change of pace after the intensity of their three Tests with Pakistan. They made the most of an unexpectedly docile track to run up 500 in their first innings. But Sri Lanka came back creditably to earn a draw in their first Test since the previous August, when they crushed England at The Oval. Off-spinner Muralitharan, who took 16 wickets in that match, was missing; so was Jayasuriya, who made a double-century - both had hand injuries. Arnold, the tall left-handed opener, replaced Jayasuriya, but the suprise was that Sri Lanka went into the test without a front-line spinner. Their captain Ranatunga, who knows the pitch like the back of his hand, was misled by the amount of grass on it, and opted for a four-pronged seam attack. But try as they might, none of them could make any impression. In the absence of the experienced Wickremasinghe, Vaas had two young fast bowlers to support him, Eric Upashantha and left-armer Ruchira Perera, while Hathurusinghe was recalled to Test cricket after a three-year break and played the role of fourth seamer. India, by contrast, played a balanced attack of pace and spin. Ashish Nehra, a 19-year old left-arm fast-medium bowler from Delhi, replaced Srinath, who was rested. Asked to bat, India scored 351 - and four bonus points - on the opening day. They were boosted by a stand of 232 between Ramesh, who completed his maiden Test century in his fourth Test, and Dravid. It was a record for India's second wicket against Sri Lanka, passing the 173 put on by Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar in the very first Test between the countries in 1982-83. The middle order joined in the feast as well, enabling India to declare at a commanding 518 for seven at tea on the second day. Like India, Sri Lanka lost an early wicket. But Jayawardene, who had more or less cemented the No. 3 spot since Gurusinha's disappearance from Test cricket, proved once again that he was a batsman with the temperament and the strokes for big scores. He converted his second hundred, in his seventh Test, into a magnificent double-century. His career-best 242 lasted 677 minutes, spread over three days, and 465 balls, with 30 fours and two sixes. It was the third-highest score for Sri Lanka in Tests. India paid dearly for dropping Jayawardene five times, the first at 25. He held the Sri Lanka innings together, the only other man to reach 50 was Ranatunga. Spinners Kumble and Harbhajan Singh took seven wickets between them, undermining Sri Lanka's selection decision, but Jayawardene ensured the game would be drawn. He was last out at 485, having reduced India's lead to 33. India batted out the fifth day, which was notable only for Tendulkar's 19th Test century. Both captains were left to rue the end result, which guaranteed Pakistan a place in the final; Ranatunga admitted he'd been confounded by the nature of the pitch, while Azharuddin lamented the dropped chances.
ludhianvi Posted December 25, 2009 Author Posted December 25, 2009 Century # 20 : 126* v New Zealand at Mohali, 10 Oct 1999 Scorecard: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63848.html Match Report First Test Match : India v New Zealand 1999-2000 At Mohali, October 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Drawn. Toss: New Zealand. Test debuts: R. V. Bharadwaj, D. J. Gandhi, M. S. K. Prasad. Even though 20 wickets fell in less than a day and a half, the match remained unfinished, the principal reason being the steady decline in the pace of the pitch. At the start it contained sufficientmoisture, partly from sweating under the covers, to make batting a trial, and New Zealand reaped a rich dividend from putting India in. A proliferation of damp patches delayed the start by 45 minutes, but the conditions could hardly be blamed for the speed with which India capitulated. Four wickets down for ten runs in six overs, they were all out for 83 in 27, equalling their second-lowest total at home. New Zealand's three seamers had the discipline to exploit a succession of inept shots by the Indians, who were palpably unprepared for a Test match. They had played no first-class cricket earlier in the season, having instead spent the preceding weeks participating in inconsequential one-day tournaments in various parts of the world. Nash bowled outstandingly to capture six for 27, his best figures in Test cricket. New Zealand also lost their openers quickly, recovered, then faltered again - and that despite a marked improvement in batting conditions on the second day. With Srinath probing away, a model of accuracy in line and length, the last six wickets added just 59 runs. India's openers wiped off a deficit of 132, although Ramesh, sometimes tentative against balls outside the off stump, could have been caught three times while making 73. His first chance was offered at 17 in a total of 28. Gandhi, in a more sedate innings of 75, survived him for another 25 overs in partnership with Dravid, who batted on and on for a faultless 144 spread over seven hours, during which time he received 327 balls and hit 18 fours. Even before the second-wicket partnership was broken in the 88th over, when India were still less than 50 ahead, Vettori was bowling from over the wicket. Off the first ball Tendulkar received, bowled by Astle, he survived the first of several appeals for lbw. Out of the game for a month because of back trouble, he played within the limitations imposed by uncertain form, batting steadfastly for more than six and a half hours and completing his 20th Test hundred. When the time came for the offensive, he let first Dravid and then Ganguly head the charge. Dravid made bold to sweep Vettori out of the rough and inevitably paid the penalty. But Vettori's tactic was unavailing against the left-handed Ganguly, who put him to the sword and scored 64 of the last 95 runs off 75 balls. India became the first Test side to follow being dismissed for under 100 with a second innings of more than 500. They led by 373 and had 135 overs in which to dismiss New Zealand. But while the ball turned, it turned slowly. Thanks mainly to Fleming, who batted almost five and a half hours, and was out to the last ball of the match, New Zealand survived. It might have been different had he been caught 27 minutes before lunch, and McMillan soon after tea, but both were difficult chances close to the wicket. The match entered the final hour with five wickets standing. Man of the Match: J. Srinath.
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