Too close for comfort

A number of frenzied Test match finishes this past season have firmly underlined that Test cricket is still the pre-eminent form of the game, in comparison to which one day cricket appears merely a contrived recipe for excitement. In February, Sri Lanka overcame a spirited fightback from Pakistan to win by two wickets at Rawalpindi. Last month the West Indies bested Pakistan by one wicket in a thriller at St. John's. And just last week England came back from the dead to steal a two wicket victory over West Indies at Lord's. By contrast India played eight unremarkable Tests this season, none of which provided a sliver of thrill. One has to dredge through the archives to come up with a list of eight really tense Test match finishes that involved India as one of the protagonists. Read on.

Needing 361 to win in 395 minutes, India begin the fifth day at 90/3. Hazare and Modi worry the Windies so much that they bowl an exaggerated leg theory. But at 321/8, and with keeper Probir Sen injured and not expected to bat, India are looking down the barrel. Phadkar and Ghulam advance the score to 355 but with one ball left in the over and one and a half minutes left on the clock - time enough to begin another over - umpire Joshi inexplicably removes the bails to signal that the game is up.

Chasing 254, India finish the fourth day at 74/3. With two nightwatchmen having been sent in on the previous evening, the batting order has been turned on its head. India plunge to 122/6 before Pataudi and Manjrekar lead a recovery but both depart in quick succession to leave the score at 224/8. Chandu Borde, having come in at No.9, marshals the tail as India squeak home without further hiccups. It is still the highest fourth innings target successfully chased in India.

Sunny Gavaskar holds one end up with a century as India set off in hot pursuit of a 341 run target but at 275/8 it looks curtains for the tourists. Kirmani and Bedi add 43 for the ninth wicket to bring India within sniffing distance. But Kirmani falls at 318 and six runs later BS Chandrasekhar is caught behind off Thommo for his third pair in Tests to present the Aussies with a 16 run triumph.

The following Test at the WACA has Australia in the role of hunters and the target is a very similar looking 339. Tony Mann who'd come in the previous evening as nightwatchman strokes his way to a hundred and Australia proceed to 295/4. But India, led by a 5-fer from captain Bedi pull back four wickets and at 330/8 its still anybody's game. Pace bowlers Wayne Clark and Jeff Thomson see the Aussies home by two wickets.

Gavaskar and Chauhan compile an opening stand of 213 to provide the perfect launch pad as India chase a forbidding target of 438. Sunny is finally out at 389 with 49 still needed off 46 balls and six wickets in hand. The equation finally boils down to 15 runs off the last over by Peter Willey but Karsan Ghavri and Bharat Reddy can add only six in the first five balls and the match is called off with one ball to spare.

Australia declare at their overnight score on the fifth morning to set India a target of 348 in a maximum of 87 overs. At 331/6 India look to be coasting but three more wickets tumble and India begins the final over at 344/9. Ravi Shastri takes a couple off the second ball and levels the scores with a single from the third to expose Maninder Singh. Two balls later Greg Matthews wins a lbw decision from Vikram Raju and the game is tied.

Sunny Gavaskar plays a lone hand in what turns out to be his final Test innings. India are tailing 221 on a brute of a pitch and Gavaskar carries the score to 180 when he is eighth out to a vicious kicker from Iqbal Qasim for 96. The next highest is extras with 27 as Pakistan are home and dry soon after by 16 runs.

Chasing 271 on a fourth day wicket, Tendulkar and Mongia rescue India from the perilous depths of 82/5 with a defiant century stand. When Mongia top edges Akram to mid off, Pakistan scent an opening. India still hold the aces as the score proceeds to 254/6 but their trump card Tendulkar holes out off Saqlain and the tail is blown away to leave Pakistan winners by 12 runs.