Baz Ball may have well truly ignited test cricket for the old and new fans of the cricket. The new fans who are lovers of the shorter format of the game always showed plenty of disinterest in the format; this led to an overall demand for test cricket in terms of a business perspective. But modern-day greats like Virat Kohli, Jimmy Anderson, Joe Root, Steven Smith, Mitchel Starc, and many other players have kept the format alive and entertaining. A classic cricket fan can never see anything wrong in test cricket. Nevertheless, the Baz Ball has contributed to keeping everyone’s eyes peeled while watching test cricket.
With that being said, let us relive one of the greatest test matches of all time, which defines the art of test cricket: Australia vs West Indies, where two giants battle it out in terms of patience, grit, and perseverance. This experience will help you grasp why Test Cricket is such a brand in the gentlemen’s game.
Setting the stage: How the match evolved
In the 4-match test series in the Australia tour of West Indies, the visitors were absolutely destroying the windies as they were cruising with a 3-0 in the first three matches. While it was a clash of the titans, as everyone knew how strong West Indies was at home, Australia defied all the odds until the very last game. They performed upon their capabilities in the 4th test as well, but little did they know that they would be absolutely stunned by the individual excellence of two of the West Indies batters in the middle order while at the end, the historical run chase was complemented by the tail-enders Omari banks and Vasbert Drakes.
The series was predicted to be concluded as a dominating whitewash by the Australians. Everyone thought so, even the home fans felt the same, but a world record chase was meant to be unfolded, which is yet to be broken.
The Climax of the game: Where the drama started to begin
As I have said, the critics, the fans, and everyone went into disbelief as the Windies shocked everyone by chasing a mammoth 418. After getting completely dominated by the Aussies at the 3rd test match, where all the Windies could post was a target of 8 runs in the 4th innings, leading Australia to win by nine wickets along with the other 2 test defeats by them just as convincingly at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados and Queen’s Park Oval, Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad. Things were shaping up for the 4th test as well.
Hosted at the Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John’s, Antigua, Australia won the Toss and elected to bat first.
First Innings (Australia)
While it was a batting track, the pitch had a lot to offer for the pacers as Jermaine Lawson completely disrupted the batters, making them all out in just 240 runs in just 73 overs. Lawson came in and was impactful right away as he got Hayden at 1-27 and Langer again for his 41 runs when he was looking promising, then again Lehmann where they were three wickets down below hundred runs.
The Aussies did try to bounce back as Gilchrist, Steve Waugh, and Andy Bichel came in with the cameos 33, 41, and 34, respectively, but Dillon and Lawson were too difficult for them in the end as they got bowled out for 240 runs.
First Innings (West Indies)
In the 2nd Innings, things were just as even as the Windies got bowled out, similar to the Aussies by 240 runs courtesy of pace brilliance from McGrath, Lee, and Bichel. The pitch clearly has a lot to offer for the pacers as the pitch got more bouncy and swingy.
Chris Gayle wasn’t able to continue to form as he got for a duck, going early and putting the Windies under pressure at 1-1; this proceeded with Ganga, Smith, and Drakes, putting the Windies under all sorts of trouble as they were down 4-80. Brian Lara, as he has been emphatic throughout the series, tried to save them through 68, but it was the later flurry of cameos from the tail-enders that got them all out under 240.
Second Innings (Australia): Australia bouncing back as expected!
It has now become like a one-day match as the scores of both teams were even. Whatever the Aussies would’ve posted, that would’ve been the target for the hosts. It was merely day 2, and as if the game actually had started with the Aussies having fire in their bellies, especially Justin Langer and Mathew Hayden getting a record partnership of 242, each of them scoring 111 and 177, respectively.
It was the then part-timer Chris Gayle who put on the breaks of this partnership by getting langer out, which followed with a flurry of wickets with Gilchrist, Love, and Lehmann scoring below part, putting the Aussies 4-330. The pressure even led to Haydos getting out through run out after scoring a magnificent 177. The last push from Steve Waugh, as he remained not out for 45, led Australia to get out for 417, giving the Windies two fresh new days along with the end of day 3 to chase down the total.
Second Innings (West Indies): The comeback of the Windies no one expected!
The Aussies knew they had a task at hand since they were aware no matter what had happened in the previous tests, the likes of Smith, Gayle, Lara, and Chanderpaul could chase down this mammoth total given the time they had. But, since the bowling unit of Australia was so good, the critics and the fans still backed the Aussies in getting them all out.
The start was shaky as Chris Gayle failed to contribute yet again as he got out in the first again following the wickets of Ganga and Smith. But, Little did everyone know that this would be the highest run chase of Test Cricket, all thanks to Ramesh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Brian Lara, complemented by the innings of Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes at the end. Leading the historical chase against the Aussies, chasing them down the total with three wickets in hand.
The final push of the match at the last two days: Individual Excellence of Sarwan and Chanderpaul
It was then at the hands of Sarwand and Lara as both of them were forming a partnership and taking the bowlers on. Lara, while scoring his 60 was smacking Stuart MacGill all over the park but unfortunately getting bowled out by him, as the plan was to keep on teasing Lara until he got out of his crease. It was 4-165, and the hosts got under pressure yet again, ending the partnership of 91 runs.
Chanderpaul, coming onto the crease, had his intentions clear that he wanted to play shots and take the game away. This was precisely what he did, but it probably would not have happened if Martin Love had not dropped him at the slips at McGrath’s bowl. Sarwan and Chanderpaul then went on to have a partnership of 123 runs until Sarwan was defied by Brett Lee’s pace, breaking the nerve-wracking partnership following with an immediate wicket in the next ball, putting him on a Hat-trick. He may not have gotten the hat trick
Day 4, Chanderpaul was crushing the likes of Gillespie and MacGill, along with Banks chipping in as well. It was Brett Lee again who broke the partnership by getting Chanderpaul out for his magnificent 104 runs. But, it may have been too late as the damage was already done since the Windies needed just 46 runs to win. On day 5, it was then the partnership of Vasbert Drakes and Omari Banks led to the world record run chase, creating history at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Key players behind this glorious five days of pure test cricket
It was undoubtedly one hell of a test with both sides going toe to toe as the likes of Brett Lee didn’t let them breathe, or the likes of Langer and Haydos caused through their batting, along with the Windies, where Lara carried his wonderful form in the entire series throughout the very last innings, the centuries from Sarwan and Chanderpaul. Not to mention, the bowling contributions from Lawson and Dillon all led to this amazing five days of nail-biting, epic test match.
To Conclude!
In Test cricket lore, the Antigua Recreation Ground witnessed an unforgettable clash between titans – Australia and the West Indies. What began as a series seemingly destined for Australian dominance took an unexpected turn as the Windies mounted a historic run chase against a daunting 418-run target. Led by the masterful batting displays of Sarwan, Chanderpaul, and Lara, the hosts embarked on a journey of resilience and determination that defied all odds. From early setbacks to nerve-wracking partnerships, every moment was imbued with the spirit of cricketing excellence, culminating in a victory reverberating across the cricketing world.
Amid the cheering fans and pulsating excitement, the Antigua Recreation Ground witnessed a spectacle of what it’s like to see a great test match. It was a testament to the enduring allure of Test cricket – a captivating blend of skill, drama, and unwavering resolve. As the final wickets fell and history was screamed into the record books, the match served as a reminder of the timeless charm and indomitable spirit that define the gentleman’s game. In its purest form, this encounter epitomized the essence of Test cricket, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of cricket enthusiasts, both old and new, for generations to come.
If you are a cherished fan of historical moments in Cricket, be sure to check out:
The Hero Cup Final 1993: India’s Historic Victory
