Dravid's epic and Murali's dance of destruction

Dravid scripts an Indian fairytale
Ram Murali on Adelaide 2003-04

The Adelaide Test of 2003 represents five of the most memorable days in the life of an Indian cricket fanatic. Galvanised by Ganguly's brilliant rearguard action at Brisbane, the Indian attack was brought back to reality by Ganguly's counterpart, Ricky Ponting, on the first day of this Test. And a top-order collapse on the second day all but pointed to yet another Indian defeat on foreign soil. But Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman - having come together at the score of 85 for 4 - had seen it all before at Kolkota in 2001 when India was on the precipice of a series defeat. The Australian critics can continue to gripe about the absence of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne at Adelaide, but weren't the Indians supposed to be dancing to the tunes of the Aussie "chin music" anyway? Well, Laxman and Dravid sure did dance, but it was down the track, using their feet beautifully against the spin of MacGill and handling the pace bowlers with the kind of assurance that the Aussies are never comfortable with.

The Indians eventually fell short of the Australian first-innings score of 556 but they had exceeded all expectations by a mile. Agarkar, perhaps wanting to exorcise the demons of his tour of 1999-00, came in like a man possessed and ran through the Aussie batting line-up. The moment his beautiful inswinger trapped Langer plumb in front, one knew that the supposedly under-confident kid from Mumbai was going to have his day in the sun. But with the Aussies, a game is not won until the last ball and it was obvious that a target of 230 was not going to be a walk in the park for the Indians. But the batsmen - including Tendulkar who was in the midst of a miserable run -- ground it out and the match was evenly poised when Ganguly fell with the score at 170. In walked Laxman and in what was a little gem of an innings, he was instrumental in crafting India's upset victory. Holding one end up till the very end was the human wall that has come to define solidity--Rahul Dravid. It was one of those rare days overseas when an Indian fan was surprised...pleasantly.

Jayasuriya wallops before Murali lets rip
Zahran Fouzi on The Oval 1998

Sri Lanka's Test record overseas was not the greatest; it was just 15 years after gaining test status and they were yet to play a Test series against England in England. This too was going to be another one-off Test and not only the Sri Lankan team but all of us in Sri Lanka knew that we had a point to prove. Sri Lanka won the toss and, with Murali in the side, Ranatunga had no hesitation in putting the home side in. Graeme Hick was in good form but Murali kept taking wickets and it was thanks to a last-wicket partnership that England reached 445 after batting for almost two days. Murali finished with seven wickets. Sri Lanka started the third day on 79 for 1 and lost an early wicket. In walked Aravinda De Silva - together with Jayasuriya, they went for it, adding almost 250 runs in 50 overs. It was a treat to watch, and I sat in front of the TV and watched every delivery of that partnership. When Jayasuriya was finally out for a breathtaking 213, England were still bowling with the first new ball - not because they wanted to but because the 80 overs were not up yet to take the second one.

Sri Lanka finished with 591, with Aravinda de Silva making a fluent 152. The commentators kept saying that a 146-run lead was not going to be enough, and there was just a little over a day to go. England started cautiously in their second innings and lost two quick wickets before the end of the day. The last day was going to be a cracker and I remember staying up late, talking to a couple of my friends about what might happen the next day. England had decided to play defensively, but just like the first innings Murali kept taking wickets at regular intervals. England lost their eighth wicket midway during the post-lunch session and we knew we had it in the bag, but Ramprakash and Salisbury batted for almost 40 overs. With every delivery that was being bowled, we had the feeling that this was going to be a "so close but yet so far". And then the ninth and tenth wickets fell in quick succession - Murali had 16 wickets in the match. What I remember most about this Test is when Sri Lanka came in to bat in their second innings needing 36 runs to win. Alex Stewart had instructed his opening bowlers to bowl down the leg side and wide of the off stump. Dominic Cork did this well but Fraser tried this for few deliveries and decided that he was not enjoying it. He got hit for a couple of boundaries and was replaced by Hollioake, who tried the same. Sri Lanka won and proved a point - no more one-off Tests in England.

England withstand a tornado ... and fightback
Barry Wilbourn on The Oval 2003

We're in the pub and we've just watched the South Africans pile on 362 runs on the first day at The Oval thanks to a ferocious innings of 183 by Herschelle Gibbs. Thankfully, he's back in the pavillion, bowled by Ashley Giles while trying to clear the pavillion. Poor old Ash has copped some fearful stick from us during the afternoon at the Vauxhall end but found time to demonstrate his wily sleight of hand with a V-sign in our direction behind his back. The fact is that they're four wickets down only because of two fairly soft run-outs and the consensus is that England have no chance of levelling the series - a draw seems to be our only hope. It's been a series of high scores with a brace of double tons from the phenomenal Graeme Smith, with Kirsten and Kallis chipping in. How were we to know that Marcus Trescothick was just about to unleash the innings of his career and Mr Thorpe was to produce the return ton of all time? Add a dash of Freddy out-Gibbsing Gibbs with a bludgeoning 95, and the other comeback kid of England cricket, Martin Bicknell, producing the goods with the ball in the second innings, and England find themselves chasing a mere 110 to win the match on the last day. Somewhere in Essex, I'm eating my hat...

Rampaging Lillie makes Lloyd's boys crumble
Rajah Supramaniam on Melbourne 1981-82

The Pakistan series just finished was famous for the Miandad-Lillee incident and not much more. Only 33,000 had turned up for the five days of the Melbourne game only a few days earlier, and everyone predicted that this was the end of Test Cricket. Over 35,000 turned up for the first day (Boxing Day) to see West Indies though. And what a match. On the first day, Australia crumbled against the Holding-Roberts-Garner-Croft barrage, except for Kim Hughes who defied the onslaught to score an even 100 out of a total of 198. Terry Alderman, the Glenn McGrath of his day, stuck around just long enough for Hughes to bring up three figures. West Indies had to face about an hour before the end of play. They lost the openers, Haynes and Bacchus, and nightwatchman Croft, and Viv Richards strode to the crease at three wickets down for six - cap on, no helmet, swinging his heavy bat to face a pumped up Dennis Lillee. Bowled with the last ball of the day! The crowd erupted. The next day, with 45,000 watching, Larry Gomes made a patient 55 before becoming Lillee's then-world record 310th victim. Garner, the Big Bird, slogged a four to have West Indies ahead on first innings, but six wickets from Holding - 11 in the match - were not enough to prevent a rare losing Test for the giants from the Caribbean.

Inzi stays cool in a Karachi classic
Haris Anis on Karachi 1993-94

Australia had not won a Test match in Pakistan for more then three decades and were looking to break the jinx with their inexperienced bowling attack led by the two future greats, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. The Aussies had the upper hand in the first innings getting an 81-run lead but the real drama started in the second innings. Australia started disastrously with Mark Taylor, captain for the first time, gone for his second duck of the match. David Boon played a classy and courageous knock to hold the innings together but the two W's, Wasim and Waqar, started an all-too-familiar collapse with the last four wickets adding just 26. Pakistan required 314, and ended the fourth day still requiring 159 with seven wickets in hand. On the fifth day, Warne weaved his magic, rattling the home team with his vicious leg breaks. Pakistan slumped to 258 for 9 and were staring at defeat, but a brilliant rearguard led by Inzamam-ul-Haq kept them in the hunt. In the end, with three runs still needed, it came down to the battle of three legends - Ian Healy, Warne and Inzamam. Warne's leg break pitched on middle stump, turned a little, touched Inzi's pads and skidded along the ground. Inzamam was out of his crease but Healy missed the stumping much to the joy of home crowd. Pakistan were gifted the winning runs, and Inzamam was the saviour, adding 58 for the last wicket with Mushtaq Ahmed. So ended one of the great Test matches of all time, one that was never out of reach of either side but never in the firm grasp of one or the other. The Aussies were made to wait another four years to win a Test in Pakistan, and Dickie Bird, the legendary English umpire, termed it the best match in which he stood.

We welcome you to pick your own greatest Test and send us a paragraph on it. The best written entries will win one of these DVDS: India v Aus 2001, Edgbaston 2005 or Botham's Ashes, 1981.