Tied Test II highlight of Chepauk encounters

In the second of a two part series on India-Australia Tests at Madras, the author looks back on the four games played at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chepauk.

A change in venue did not change India's luck for Australia continued their winning ways at Madras when the teams met again in December 1969 in the fifth and final Test at Chepauk. There was tremendous interest in the game for, with Australia holding a 2-1 lead, the series was still open and on a pitch that took spin early, Indian cricket fans were hopeful that the trio of Prasanna, Bedi and Venkatraghavan would help India to draw the series.

It did prove to be a fascinating contest and with the ball dominating, the match, scheduled for six days, was over in three and a half. Australian captain Bill Lawry won a good toss and the visitors led off with 258 with Doug Walters coming good with a powerful innings of 102, his only century in ten Tests against India. Prasanna and Venkatraghavan took four wickets each. India's reply was a highly inadequate 163 with only skipper Pataudi being the shining light with a stroke filled 59. Off spinner Ashley Mallett took five for 91. Prasanna however put India back into the game with a mesmeric spell. He took four quick wickets and Australia, at 24 for six, were gasping for breath. But Ian Redpath (63) with help from the tail took the total to 153. Prasanna finished with six for 74. A target of 249 seemed within reach, especially after Ajit Wadekar (55) and Gundappa Viswanath (59) added 102 runs for the third wicket. But the rest of the batting crumbled against Mallett, who was the only spinner in the side. He took five for 53 to bowl out India for 171. Australia, victors by 77 runs, took the series 3-1.

It wasn't until ten years later that the two teams met again at Chepauk but this time it was an emaciated Australian team that took on India. Bereft of the Packer players, the Australians came to Madras for the first of the six Test series. Centuries by Allan Border (162) and Kim Hughes (100) who added 212 runs for the third wicket helped Australia to score 390. Dilip Doshi in his first Test took six for 103. Consistent batting down the order - Sunil Gavaskar (50), Syed Kirmani (57), Dilip Vengsarkar (65), Yashpal Sharma (52) and Kapil Dev (83) - saw India gain a first innings lead of 35. Leg spinner Jimmy Higgs with seven for 143 returned the best analysis of his 22-match Test career. Australia fought hard to save the match on the final day before bad light followed by rain ended the game with the visitors 212 for seven.

Exactly seven years later, the two teams came to Chepauk again and the result was Tied Test II. The story of the match has been well chronicled. Dean Jones scored a heroic 210 in the cauldron that was the MA Chidambaram stadium. Also excelling in the heat and humidity were David Boon (122) and Allan Border (106) as Australia led off with 574 for seven declared on the third morning. India, thanks chiefly to an electrifying 119 by skipper Kapil Dev and supporting knocks by K Srikkanth (53), Ravi Shastri (62) and Md Azharuddin (50) replied with 397. The Australians did not show any undue haste in the second innings and it came as a surprise when Border, reportedly on coach Bobby Simpson's urging, declared at 170 for five first thing on the final morning. This left India 348 to get in 87 overs. Planning their tactics wisely, the Indians with Sunil Gavaskar leading the way with a strokefilled 90, were well placed at tea at 193 for two. At this stage, they required 155 runs from 30 overs. But Australia came back strongly in the last session thanks to Greg Matthews and Ray Bright who did not wilt in the heat. Wickets fell at regular intervals but Ravi Shastri held the middle order together and amidst much tension and excitement, the unbelievable climax was played out before a near capacity crowd. Finally, Maninder Singh was leg before to the indefatigable Matthews and the match ended in only the second tie in 1052 Tests.

After coming within a run of winning in Tied Test II, India finally scored their first victory over Australia in Madras in March 1998. It was the first of a three Test series and there was much hype about the impending duel between Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar. Batting first, India despite a 122-run opening stand between Nayan Mongia (58) and Navjot Sidhu (62) were restricted to 257. Australia with Mark Waugh (66) holding together the middle order and Ian Healy (90) and Gavin Robertson (57) putting up a strong rearguard action, obtained a first innings lead of 71. Tendulkar however decided the course of the match with a breathtaking innings of 155 not out. He had fallen to Warne in the first innings for four but this time took the leg spinner apart with a series of powerful strokes. Sidhu (64), Dravid (56) and Azharuddin (64) pushed the score along at a nifty rate and India were able to declare on the fourth evening at 418 for four. A rattled Aussie side, left to get 348 for victory, crumbled under pressure and were all out for 168.