When India knocked over the Australians by four wickets in Adelaide at the back end of 2003, it was a cause for great celebration.
Sourav Ganguly’s fearless warriors had defeated a nation that had scorned and humiliated them for so long. It was a hopeful time for Indian cricket fans, as the national side sought to end years of underachievement abroad.
A full eighteen years earlier, Adelaide was also witness to one of Indian cricket’s most defiant acts in the face of adversity. India’s ambitions away from home were far more modest in those days, and the prospect of taking on the Australians was a daunting one.
India did, however, have an outstanding weapon to bring to this fight – one Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, who rose to the occasion magnificently.
As this legend of Mumbai and Indian cricket turns 67, we take a look back at this most memorable knock Down Under.
BACKGROUND
The Australians fielded the deadly trio of Hughes, Reid and McDermott
Australia’s form heading into the series made for some depressing reading. They had not won a series since the defeat of Pakistan at home in early 1984 and had since suffered two miserable hammerings at the hands of a supremely dominant West Indies side, home and away.
India’s form, however, was even worse. Not since a 0-1 win in England in 1981-82 had they won a series. England had got their revenge by exacting two defeats on India in the time since, while the very same West Indies side that had destroyed the Australians also beat India both home and away.
So when the first Test began in Adelaide on 13 December 1985 in front of 8,441 fans, both teams were out to arrest a run of severe underachievement. Australia were just about favourites, especially on home soil and with a bowling attack consisting of the supreme fast bowling trio of Merv Hughes, Craig McDermott and Bruce Reid.
AUSSIES PILE IT ON
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, David Boon and Greg Ritchie both hit hundreds as Australia took early control of the game. Kapil Dev was still a few months away from masterminding a spectacular win in England, but here he took eight wickets and removed both centurions. The Aussies finished 381 all out in the first innings, a healthy total but not one beyond the tourists.
By the end of day two, India were 97-1 and Gavaskar was at the crease unbeaten on 39 alongside Chetan Sharma (1*), who came in at three after Kris Srikkanth had departed for 51.
DISASTER STRIKES
Gavaskarsweeps during his innings.
Gavaskar, batting in his distinctive sun hat, looked the part as the Australian bowlers roared in. His drives through cover were punchy, angry almost, as though the Aussies had done him some personal wrong.
He did survive chances throughout his innings. Wicket-keeper Wayne Phillips nearly managed a fantastic diving catch, Boon almost ran him out and a catch in the slips was spilled, but Gavaskar continued undeterred.
His innings was brought to a halt, however, by a ball from McDermott that rose unexpectedly. Hit on the left arm, a little above his wrist, Gavaskar retired hurt on 39. He was unable to rejoin his partner Sharma at the wicket on the third morning and Dilip Vengsarkar took his place instead. Gavaskar was absent for a full day as Mohammad Azharuddin and Mohinder Amarnath manned the raft at the close of day three.
He did return to the wicket eventually with India at 247-5. Shastri was at the other end, and the pair from Mumbai began to mount a counter attack.
GAVASKAR TAKES CHARGE
Gavaskar, now batting with a skull cap that made his head look like a hollow boiled egg, seemed to have been somewhat softened by the injury. His drives were no longer marked by a hard edge, but carried a silken, more skilful touch.
His square cuts were fruitful, while deliveries on the pads, were dispatched to the onside boundary with a sumptuous flick of the wrists. On the fifth morning he moved to his century with such a shot.
His run-scoring remained undiminished. Fourteen balls were belted to the boundary, including one from spinner Greg Matthews that cleared the infield and reached the mid-wicket boundary with one bounce, by which time the boiled egg had been removed from around Gavaskar’s countenance.
He soldiered on, striking loose balls to the boundary but never largely deviating from the kind of obdurate, classically defensive style of batting that was his hallmark. The last man Shivlal Yadav was out to a careless shot, a high full toss off David Hookes that was duly deposited in the hands of Hughes.
The job, though, was done. Gavaskar walked off, undefeated, on 166. It was one of his last Test hundreds, and at the age of 36, one of his best not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of the circumstances he achieved it in. The stamina required to last 416 balls was immense, as was the courage required to take the field again after retiring hurt. Another hurdle Gavaskar overcame was psychological; it was his first Test hundred for nearly two years.
EPILOGUE
The Australians had faced only eight overs when the game was brought to an end as a draw.
The second and third Tests were also drawn, meaning India had escaped Down Under with a share of the spoils. Gavaskar managed a further 172 in the third Test at Sydney, where India managed 600 in the first innings and forced Australia to follow-on. He finished the series with an average of 117.33.
The hundreds in Adelaide and Sydney were his sixth and seventh (an eighth was to follow in Mumbai shortly after) against the Aussies – second after the West Indies on the list of cricketing sides that Gavaskar scored the most Test hundreds in his career against.
