India v Australia - First Test

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

India: SM Gavaskar, M Prabhakar, M Amarnath, GR Viswanath, PR Umrigar, *MAK Pataudi, Kapil Dev, +SMH Kirmani, EAS Prasanna, BS Bedi, BS Chandrasekhar.
Australia: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, GS Chappell, AR Border, SR Waugh, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, DK Lillee, WJ O'Reilly.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: DM Archer (WI) & CJ Mitchley (SAF)
Toss: India

Much of the talk ahead of this game centered around who would not be playing; India took the bold move of dropping both Hazare and Azharuddin after their poor showing against West Indies, whilst Australia would be without the services of Don Bradman for at least this Test, a back strain relegating the Don to the unaccustomed role of spectator.

When the play finally got under way, a dry and cracked pitch at the Wankhede promised to hand a distinct advantage to the team batting first, but at the halfway stage of the game it was honours very much even with only 19 runs separating the sides. Pataudi won the toss and batted first, and it was erstwhile skipper Sunil Gavaskar who proved to be the mainstay of the innings, batting over eight hours and contributing 141 - his first ATG hundred in his home town - to a final total of 342. Viswanath was the only other player to pass fifty, making 62 out of a 122 run stand for the third wicket, and with O'Reilly and Benaud both proving ineffectual Australia's seam attack performed admirably on a pitch offering them little assistance, forcing the Indians to grind and scrap for every run.

In reply, a gritty century from Lawry and a fluent fifty from Chappell took Australia to the comfort of 151-1 with relative ease, but Chandrasekhar engineered a collapse on the second afternoon that reduced the tourists to 224-7, and it was only thanks to the tail that they got to within touching distance of India's total; the last three wickets added 99 runs, with Dennis Lillee's 37 from number ten the next highest score after the efforts of Lawry and Chappell.

With the game now effectively reduced to a one innings shoot-out, India desperately needed a good start in their second dig, but openers Gavaskar and Prabhakar were both caught in the cordon off Lillee for ducks, and by lunch on day four the hosts had limped to 97-5 and a lead of just 116. O'Reilly then got to work in the afternoon session, and at 126-7 the outlook seemed bleak for India. Mohinder Amarnath was still there though, and in Prasanna he found a partner who could hang around, the pair adding fifty priceless runs for the eighth wicket to push the lead towards the 200 mark. Prasanna was dropped three times during his innings of 23, one a complete sitter by Lawry at midwicket off the furious O'Reilly, but the Tiger eventually got his man and completed his five wicket haul on recall by snaring Bedi in the next over.

With last man Chandrasekhar now at the crease, Amarnath managed to complete a deserved century with a six off Lillee, but India were eventually dismissed for 199 and Australia now had the best part of four sessions to knock off a target of 219 for victory. Lawry made 58 to go with his first innings century as Australia cruised to 130-3 on the final morning, but the 42nd over of the innings, bowled by Chandrasekhar, changed everything. In the space of five balls Chandra turned the game on its head by dismissing Border, Miller and Healy for no addition to the score, and with Benaud following soon after Australia had slumped dramatically to 140-7, six of those wickets having fallen to Chandra's fizzing legbreaks. Steve Waugh was now the last recognized batsman remaining, and the home fans could barely contain themselves.

By lunch Australia had recovered a little to 174-8, but with the pressure mounting Waugh holed out off Bedi for 49 in just the second over of the afternoon, and three overs later it was all over as Kapil Dev trapped O'Reilly lbw to hand India a dramatic victory by the margin of 40 runs. Chandra's magic over had proved the turning point, but India also reaped the benefits of holding onto their catches, and the Australians now have a lot of work to do before the teams meet again in Kanpur.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards
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Scores
IND 1st Inns 342 (Gavaskar 141, Viswanath 62, Umrigar 47)
AUS 1st Inns 323 (Lawry 110, Chappell 58; Chandrasekhar 5-73)
IND 2nd Inns 199 (Amarnath 106; O'Reilly 5-55)
AUS 2nd Inns 178 (Lawry 58, Waugh 49; Chandrasekhar 6-61)

INDIA WON BY 40 RUNS


Man of the Match: BS Chandrasekhar

India v Australia - Tour Match

President's XI v Australians
Vidarbha C.A. Ground, Nagpur
3 Day Game
Umpires: PD Reporter & RB Gupta
Toss: Australians

President's XI: S Mushtaq Ali, P Roy, *AL Wadekar, VL Manjrekar, Yashpal Sharma, GS Ramchand, ED Solkar, +KS More, S Madan Lal, Ghulam Ahmed, DR Doshi.
Australians: WM Woodfull, WM Lawry, DG Bradman, AR Border, SR Waugh, KR Miller, +IA Healy, *R Benaud, AK Davidson, DK Lillee, WJ O'Reilly.

Richie Benaud's Australians dominated proceedings in Nagpur, but after Don Bradman's double century had helped them rack up an imposing first innings total, the tourists' bowlers were unable to finish off proceedings even after the President's XI were forced to follow-on some 297 behind on first innings.

Bradman's 229 was the undoubted highlight of the first half the match as the Australians - who were fielding their probable Test XI - made the home bowlers toil on a hard, flat wicket. All of the tourists' top five were able to spend time at the crease, with Lawry and Border both contributing to successive century stands with The Don on the first day. Bradman batted positively after a nervy start, and he ran the Indian fielders ragged with his predilection for the sharp single as Wadekar tried to stem the flow of boundaries.

Bradman was dropped once, on 168, during the course of his five hour innings, but it was the Australian fielding that was to come under scrutiny during the second half of the match as the President's XI battled for the draw. The visitors' bowlers chipped away, and Benaud was finally able to enforce the follow-on midway through the morning session on the final day, some enterprising resistance from the tail having delayed Australia's progress and more than doubling the score from the position of 83-6 on the second evening.

The tourists now had two and a half sessions to dismiss their hosts for a second time, but after Miller sent back both Roy and Wadekar for ducks in his first over, Mushtaq Ali and Manjrekar led a counter attack that left Australia's seamers looking decidedly ordinary. O'Reilly finally snared Mushtaq Ali for 45, but Manjrekar went on to complete a delightful hundred, an innings that may see him force his way into the selectors' minds ahead of the first Test. He was dropped twice on his way to three figures though, and in all five chances went to ground as the tourists turned in a decidedly ordinary performance in the field, one that allowed the President's XI to escape with a draw when they surely should have lost.

So, in summary, Australia's batting looks in good shape as we approach the first Test, but the fielding will need to be much sharper in Mumbai, as will the performances from the quick bowlers.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards
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Scores
AUS 1st Inns 492-6 dec. (Bradman 229, Lawry 72, Border 69, Woodfull 44, Waugh 44)
PRES XI 1st Inns 195
PRES XI 2nd Inns 212-6 (Manjrekar 126, Mushtaq Ali 45)

MATCH DRAWN

India v Australia - Series Preview

Australia last toured India way back in the first season of ATG cricket, and what was India's inaugural series ended in a humiliating 5-0 whitewash that cost Pataudi jnr both the captaincy and his place in the team. Fast forward to the present day and Pataudi is back in charge of an Indian team keen to avenge that defeat, and having secured a 1-1 draw when the sides last met in Australia, one feels that the upcoming series promises to be a far closer affair. India's record at home in ATG Tests has been surprisingly poor though, and whilst Pataudi himself has been in excellent form since replacing Gavaskar as skipper, one feels that his powers of motivation and inspiration will be tested to the limit over the course of the four matches.

Pataudi's opposite number, Richie Benaud, has led Australia back towards the top of the rankings since taking over from Don Bradman, and he leads a strong touring party that sees recalls handed to Steve Waugh, Greg Chappell and Ray Lindwall and a first call up for off-spinner Ian Johnson, whose inclusion above Clarrie Grimmett caused more than a few eyebrows to be raised in the Australian press. The selectors justified their decision by stating that, with two leg spinners in the squad already in the shape of Benaud and O'Reilly, Johnson's presence would add variety in a series where spin is expected to be a large factor, but the pressure will now be on Johnson should he make the starting XI.

Current form (most recent result first)
India LWLWD
Australia DWWWW

Previous series result
Australia 1 India 1 (Season III; 3 Tests)

Australia squad
R Benaud (c), AR Border (v/c), DG Bradman, GS Chappell, AK Davidson, IA Healy, IWG Johnson, WA Johnston, WM Lawry, DK Lillee, RR Lindwall, RW Marsh, KR Miller, WJ O'Reilly, SR Waugh, WM Woodfull,

England v South Africa - Series Summary

SOUTH AFRICA WON THE SERIES 3-1
Defeat at The Oval completed a wretched summer for England, and as a consequence they relinquished their number one status in the world rankings, with South Africa moving into second place behind new top dogs, the West Indies. Poor batting has been the root cause of England's demise, with Hammond's complete loss of form severely compromising a badly misfiring top order. Graham Thorpe seemed to spend the second half of the series trying to play himself out of the side after his match winning century at Trent Bridge, and David Gower now appears to be the only certainty in the middle order following his 146 in the last Test. Les Ames' influence was badly missed in the two defeats at Old Trafford and The Oval, and although England's bowlers all performed adequately, Ian Botham's place as all-rounder must surely be in doubt once again.

As for South Africa, Hansie Cronje's elevation to the captaincy has led to a huge upsurge in fortune for the Proteas, and although Cronje himself endured a poor series with the bat, those around him usually did enough to blunt the English attack. One criticism that could be levelled at the South African batsmen was their collective tendency to get out after making a start, but Denis Lindsay was invariably able to pick up the pieces, and his two centuries went a long way to securing the victories at Lord's and Old Trafford, although it must be said that his keeping was decidedly below par for much of the series. Goddard once again led the way with the ball, but his continued lack of production at the top of the batting order continues to give the selectors a major headache.

Series averages

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South Africa could go top of the rankings if, as expected, they defeat New Zealand in their next series, whilst England's selectors now face some tough decisions ahead of the upcoming Ashes tour.

Players of the Series: DL Underwood & DT Lindsay

England v South Africa - Fourth Test

The Oval, London

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, KF Barrington, DI Gower, GP Thorpe, +AJ Stewart, IT Botham, FS Trueman, AV Bedser, DL Underwood, JB Statham.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Egar (AUS)
Toss: England

With so much on the line anticipation was high at The Oval, and the fact that this was also the 200th ATG Test only added to the sense of occasion surrounding the game. South Africa maintained faith in the same XI that had started the previous three Tests, but England reconstructed their batting line-up after the debacle at Old Trafford; Hammond was dropped for the first time in his career, and Knott's recall lasted all of one game as Stewart came in for his first Test at home and his first as wicket-keeper.

At 2-1 down England needed to force the pace, but after Len Hutton won his third toss in a row we were treated to a soporific first day as the hosts crawled to a score of 193-3. Graham Thorpe took an incredible 105 minutes and 73 deliveries to get off the mark, and as tightly as the South Africans were bowling, there seemed little excuse for such a poor rate of production. The one bright spot was the performance of David Gower, who went on to record just the second century of his stop-start ATG career on the second day as England eventually posted a reasonable total of 377. Gower and Thorpe's 124 run partnership for the fourth wicket took all of 54 overs to put together, and England's bowlers now needed to show some bite in order to reignite their push for a series-saving victory.

Wickets fell at regular intervals in South Africa's reply as the visitors' batsmen again mostly failed to capitalise on solid starts, and it was not until Cullinan and Procter hooked up in a 114 run stand for the sixth wicket that the Proteas looked like they could get on top. With Graeme Pollock unable to bat due to a broken finger he sustained whilst fielding, Daryll Cullinan stepped up and justified the selectors' faith by moving serenely to 99, but then both he and Procter fell in consecutive overs to the new ball as England struck back. Cullinan's innings ended ingloriously when he patted a simple return catch back to Statham, and South Africa's total of 326 gave England a lead of 51 with two days play remaining.

England would now need to bat far more positively than they had in the first innings, but Adcock and Goddard were unerring in their persistence and the score slumped to a disastrous 97-6 as England fell apart on the fourth afternoon. Three wickets went down with the score on 86, and although Botham and Trueman - with an innings-high 43* - restored a little pride to the proceedings, a total of 174 provided South Africa with a target of 226 and over a day in which to get them.

Early breakthroughs from Trueman and Statham rocked the tourists though, and with the scoreboard reading 33-3 early on the final day - effectively 33-4 in the absence of Pollock - England had roared right back into contention. Cullinan and Rhodes had both endured a disappointing series up until this point, but Cullinan was clearly buoyed by his first innings here, and with Jonty Rhodes also finding his feet, South Africa took back control. The pair added 142 for the fourth wicket before finally being parted when Cullinan was run out by Hutton for 56, but Rhodes and Lindsay took the tourists to within 26 runs of victory before Trueman removed both partners in consecutive overs to England one last hope of salvaging the game and the series.

It was not to be for England, though. Rhodes' 94 had been enough, and Mike Procter ended the match in emphatic style by hooking Bedser into the crowd to hand the hosts just their second ever series defeat and to provide South Africa with a conclusive, and deserved, 3-1 series win. For the second match in a row England's second innings batting had let them down, but full credit to South Africa and their skipper, Hansie Cronje, who has now led his team to back-to-back victories in his first two series in charge.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards

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Scores
ENG 1st Inns 377 (Gower 146, Stewart 51)
SAF 1st Inns 326 (Cullinan 99, Procter 61; Statham 4-80)
ENG 2nd Inns 174 (Trueman 43*; Goddard 4-31)
SAF 2nd Inns 226-7 (Rhodes 94, Cullinan 56; Trueman 4-47)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 3 WICKETS


Man of the Match: DJ Cullinan