Chennai: Forty years! Has it really been that long? And yet in my mind’s eye it could well have been yesterday for I remember the events of Tied Test II so vividly. Among all the memorable happenings as they unfolded over the five days from September 18 to 22 1986 I can recall best the climactic act of the Hitchcock-laced suspense drama – a tireless Greg Matthews, sleeves buttoned at the wrist, wearing the baggy green cap running in to bowl to Maninder Singh. The Indian No 11 goes back, is rapped on the pads, there is an impassioned appeal and umpire Vikram Raju lifts his finger. The time is 5.18 pm. The near capacity crowd erupts. They know that they have had the rare privilege of being part of cricket history – only the second tied Test and this is the 1052nd game spread over 109 years.
As only to be expected heroes there were aplenty. And the first was Dean Jones who came up with one of the most heroic displays on a cricket field. The MA Chidambaram stadium was a veritable cauldron. September is known as ``second summer’’ in the southern metropolis and those five days were thoroughly in keeping with this saying. The heat and humidity was energy sapping and in these adverse conditions when cricketers unused to them would have collapsed Jones stuck it out like few men have.
Jones had come in at the fall of Geoff Marsh’s wicket at 48 on the first day and had seen David Boon fall late on the first day after a second wicket partnership of 158 runs. On the second day the heat was quite unbearable. The bowlers and fielders wilted but this was clearly one of those mind over matter exercises and in this the Aussies came up trumps. Jones got his maiden Test hundred and braving the searing afternoon heat blazed forth with a series of unstoppable shots. Ultimately however the stifling and enervating heat got to him and he started retching by the side of the crease. Despite being overcome by dehydration he refused to leave the crease and after receiving some treatment continued to bat.
The conditions continued to be muggy through the afternoon but Jones relentlessly carried on. Overcome yet again by nausea and leg cramps he again received treatment but refused to budge. There was no respite from the heat even in the post-tea session and the sea breeze that normally wafts across Chepauk from the Marina beach was absent. Amidst thunderous applause Jones reached his double hundred. The knowledgeable Chepauk crowd was fully aware of the heroism of the feat but by this time even the stouthearted Jones had reached the end of the tether. On 210 he finally succumbed being bowled by Shivlal Yadav but not before he had occupied the crease for eight hours and 23 minutes. Back in the comparative cool of the dressing room Jones was found to be completely dehydrated. He was rushed to hospital and put on saline treatment. Fed intravenously that’s where he stayed for the rest of the night.
Another hero was Kapil Dev. In the face of a massive Australian total of 574 for seven declared, India lost wickets at regular intervals and were facing the prospect of a follow on. But then the Indian captain as almost always during his long playing career embarked on a thrilling counter attack. On the third evening and fourth morning he unleashed a fusillade of strokes that left the Australian bowlers lost for ideas, the fielders gaping and the crowd in throes of excitement. With only the tailenders for company he hit his way to a breath taking 119 with 21 fours before being last out at 397. With the follow on averted the match seemed headed for a draw and the Aussies reinforced this view by trotting to 170 for five off 49 overs by stumps on the fourth day.
Monday, September 22 was another bright and sunny morning. There was hardly any excitement about the result but then came the news that opened up any number of possibilities. We in the press box were informed that Australia had declared at the overnight total and had set India a victory target of 348 in 87 overs.
On the final day there were several heroes but none stood out more than Matthews. The maverick off spinner had already taken five wickets in the first innings and now he stuck it out in the heat and humidity battling the tense pressure cooker situation best as the pendulum swung this way and that. It first looked like a draw, then India seemed to have wrapped things up, then late in the evening the Australians scented victory. But all through this Matthews kept bowling from one end taking the wickets at regular intervals and fittingly enough his tenth wicket of the match was the last to fall – Maninder Singh leg before with one ball to spare. India were all out for 347 and it was a tie after all – only the second after Brisbane 1960 - with both teams having scored 744 runs
Incidentally there have been around 1600 Tests played since then without another tie emphasizing the rarity of the result.
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