Things moved as expected when Australia wrapped up the first Testagainst India at Sydney by an innings in three days
Partab Ramchand16-Nov-2001Part IV: High Drama Down UnderIn any Indian fan’s list of famous triumphs, the unexpected victory atMelbourne in February 1981 will rank very high and for good reason.A win abroad, against strong opposition, achieved against all odds,with the Indian side crippled by injuries to key bowlers, and afterbeing in arrears by 182 runs in the first innings this is the stuffof which fiction and film scripts are made. But even this scenario wasmade more surreal by one more dramatic event that marked the twistsand turns over five days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground a nearwalkout by the Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar after he had furiouslydisagreed with an lbw decision against him.
Things moved as expected when Australia wrapped up the first Testagainst India at Sydney by an innings in three days. The home teamthen had the better of a drawn second Test at Adelaide. So India couldstill level the series by winning the final Test at Melbourne, but forlong this seemed an impossible task.
It is true that India had won two successive Tests in Australia in1977-78 against a sub-standard Australian side, denuded of the Packerplayers, and had come close to winning the series. But against fullstrength Australian teams on two previous visits, they had lost eightout of nine Tests played. And, in 1980-81, Australia were the secondbest team in the world, behind West Indies, with a particularly goodrecord at home. Prior to the series with India, Australia had beatenNew Zealand in a three-match series 2-0.Things moved as expected when Australia wrapped up the first Testagainst India at Sydney by an innings in three days. The home teamthen had the better of a drawn second Test at Adelaide. So India couldstill level the series by winning the final Test at Melbourne, but forlong this seemed an impossible task. In spite of a gallant 114 byGundappa Viswanath, India could only get to a modest 237 in the firstinnings. Allan Border (124), with good support from Greg Chappell (76)and Doug Walters (78), saw Australia reply with 419 midway through thethird day.As Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan opened the Indian second innings, theodds predictably were on Australia completing a 2-0 triumph. Gavaskarhad been woefully out of touch, struggling to get 48 runs in fiveinnings, but this time he settled down, and the pair led India’sfight-back with their ninth three-figure partnership in Tests.On the fourth morning, after the pair had put on 165, Gavaskar wasadjudged lbw to Dennis Lillee for 70. He disagreed with the decision,stood his ground, and alternated between pleading and arguing with theumpire and the Australian players. Then Lillee came near him, pointedto his pad, and said something to him. Already upset, Gavaskar by nowwas furious. He stormed off the field, pulling a reluctant Chauhanalong with him.The Indian manager, Wing Commander Salim Durrani, met the agitatedGavaskar near the boundary line, asked Chauhan to stay on the field,and instructed Dilip Vengsarkar to go in. The manager’s timely actionsaved a potentially embarrassing situation, but in the meantime, Indiahad to continue their fight to save the match. Chauhan top-scored with85, and there were good supporting knocks from Vengsarkar (41),Viswanath (30) and Sandip Patil (36). A total of 324, however, meantthat Australia had to get only 143 runs for victory.The wicket was showing some signs of wear and tear, but it seemed toosmall a target to cause the Australians, with their formidable arrayof batsmen, any trouble. Moreover, by now the Indians had major injuryproblems. Kapil Dev had pulled a thigh muscle and was unable to openthe bowling; in fact, he had batted with a runner in the secondinnings. Dilip Doshi had a fractured instep, but was just about in acondition to bowl. Shivlal Yadav, while batting in the first innings,had sustained a hairline fracture on his toe thanks to a Len Pascoeyorker. He had bowled 32 overs in the Australian innings, retiredmidway through, was not in a position to bat in the second innings andwas thus out of the action for the rest of the Test.So India were left with one fit (Karsan Ghavri) and two half-fitbowlers, and this weakened trio were to bowl Australia out for lessthan 142. It seemed Mission: Impossible until Ghavri dismissed JohnDyson and Chappell with successive deliveries to leave Australia at 11for two. Super-fast work by Syed Kirmani stumped Graeme Wood off Doshiat 18, and with the Australians teetering at 24 for three by the closeof play, the match had suddenly come to life. However, Australia werestill the firm favourites as the target was within reachable limits,and Kim Hughes, Doug Walters, Allan Border and Rod Marsh were stillaround.On the final morning, Kapil Dev put aside his discomfort and, with theaid of pain-killers, took the field. He and Doshi now bowledunchanged, the left-arm spinner taking the crucial wicket of the inform Hughes. Thereafter, it was all Kapil. Bowling with fire in hiseyes, the Indian spearhead maintained a perfect line and length, madethe batsmen play at every ball, and gave nothing away.In a trice, the strong Australian batting line-up crumbled before hisinspired spell. With Gavaskar, still smarting from what had happenedthe previous day, egging his team on, the home side were shot out for83, leaving India winners by 59 runs. Not one batsman got to even 20,and Kapil finished with five for 28. Of course, the roles played byGhavri (two for 10) and Doshi (two for 33) were also vital in shapingone of the most dramatic victories in Indian cricket history.