The Greatest Test Match Ever

I have seen some really great test matches in my life. Some which come to mind are the 1999 test match in Chennai where Sachin played a valiant knock only to end up on the losing side. Another was the third test match of the 1997 Ashes where Steve Waugh scored 2 centuries in the 2 innings even though he had split the webbing on his right hand, I can still recall his grimace after facing every ball. Also there was the series decider in the Frank Worell trophy which the Windies won by one run. Walsh dismissing McDermott with a perfectly pitched outswinger. Of course a Brian Lara inspired Courtney Walsh winning over the Windies by one wicket. There were 2 such matches in the same series where Lara single handedly proved to the rest of the world why he is without any doubt the best test match batsman of our times. Or even the 1987 tied test match where Dean Jones was literally vomitting on the field in his marathon double century. But apart from all these the test match that I watched yesterday must surely rank as the best I have seen.

There is an incredible romance assosciated with any sport whenever you see an old pro taking on the brash new comer. Graf versus Hingis was one of the matches I remember in Tennis. Sachin taking on Qadir in the late 1980's. In this case it was an Oldpro team taking on their challenegers to the title of world champions. England have won series in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa. The only places left were India and Australia. In India they were denied victory by rain in Bangalore which would have drawn the series. Australia meanwhile are the hardened professionals who have won series everywhere around the world. And quite recently they had conquered the final frontier India. They were and probably still are the undisputed world champions.

After losing the first test match by a huge margin the English one would have expected would repeat the old story of folding up by going into a shell. There was a lot of stick from the media against the English team. Most of it directed against Giles who reacted to it and again got lot of stick for it.

The beginning of the test match did not lack any drama. Glenn McGrath while playing rugby on the morning of the match stepped onto a cricket ball and injured his ankle. This meant that the Aussie attack lost one of their potent weapons. Kasprowicz who by his own admission looked forward to having cheese cake and tea was slated into replace the injured pigeon. Australia won the toss and Ponting seemed to have been drawn into the groundsmans bluff when he asked the English to bat. (The groundsman of course telling the media that the pitch was undercooked by a couple of days and there would be a lot of moisture. Also Pontings crack on his cheek courtesy Harmison might still have been fresh in his memory).

Out walked Trescothick and Strauss. They got off to a blazing start scoring at more than 6 runs per over. Lee who does not have an in between length was either driven or pulled away with scant respect. They put on 112 in 25 overs before Strauss chose a ball that was too full to cut and was castled just before lunch. After lunch Vaughan and Trescothick resumed, attacking anything that was loose. Kasprowicz then induced an edge from Trescothick and in the same over had Bell caught behind with a beauty of a delivery. And four overs later when Gillespie who was bowling better than anytime on the tour made Vaughan top edge a pull which must have in Sidhus language brought down an air hostess with it was well taken by Lee one began thinking whether England had gotten everything wrong. Out walked Flintoff to join Pietersen and then began one of the best counter attacks in test cricket. In a space of 18 overs more than 100 runs were added as Flintoff hit 5 sixes and 6 hits to the boundary in his 68. Pitersen meanwhile was content to let Flintoff do the bulk of the scoring. After the tea interval though Gillespie again induced an edge off Flintoff and then soon Kasper got Jones out off a peach of a delivery. The pendulum had swung the Aussies way yet again. At 293 for 6 one would have thought that 320-350 would have been what England would end up with. But then Giles also began attacking the bowling and was helped by the sort of fields Ponting was setting. He scored 23 before he was plumb in front to Warne. Meanwhile Pietersen began opening his big huge shoulders. One shot stands out. Lee who was bowling fast came in and bowled a short of good length ball just outside off stump, and Pietersen non chalantly drove it on the up and with a flick of the wrist to ensure that it went wide of the mid on fielder the ball raced away to the mid wicket fence. And then one of his mis hits found Katich who took a good low catch. Harmison meanwhile hit Warne for a couple of boundaried to score 17 before he was deceived in the flight and was castled. The last wicket pair of Jones and Hoggard put on 32 crucial runs before Hoggard was also lbw to Warne. At the end of the first day England was 407 all out. There was a feeling that on the feather bed of this pitch it was 100 runs short of what would test the strong Aussie batting line up.

And in what has become the usual tradition in this series Langer was again hit on the helmet, thighs and what not. Hayden went again playing a casual cover drive to the short cover fielder off his first ball. Ponting and Langer consolidated before Poting who looked set to get a big one was stifled by Giles leg stump line and gave a catch to Vaughan at short fine leg. He was out for 61 and the score was 88 for 2. England got the stroke of luck they needed when Martyn who was playing with ease and had moved onto 20 off 23 balls got run out on the stroke of lunch. He was out by an inch and Vaughan with one stump to aim at had hit. Clarke and Langer then took the score to 194 for 3 and just when you thought the Aussies had it in the bag Giles produced a quick one which Clarke edged through to Jones. Katich was troubled by Flintoff and soon went caught behind. Gilchrist playing a very subdued role compared to his usual flamboyant self took them to 262 before Jones produced a beautiful yorker to dismiss Langer who had produced a doughty knock of 82. Warne swung his bat at everything and was out to Giles bowled. Jones again bowled just the right length to force lee to edge to Flintoff to second slip. Gillespie hung around for quite some time during which Glichrist was happy to let him have the strike and I think this was one of their blunders. Giclhrist should have farmed the strike and tried to score more. Instead Flintoff came back to dismiss Gillespie and Kasper off consecutive balls to dismiss Australia for 308. England had the crucial first innings lead of 99 runs. But the action for the day was not yet over. England had to play out a sticky half hour. And Warne produced a magic delivery to get rid of Strauss in the last over of the day. After taking a long time to set his field, Warne bowled a ball which pitched about 3 feet outside the off stump and Strauss looking to pad it away offered no shot, the ball hit the rough spun past his pads and crashed into the stumps. At the end of the second day England were ahead by 124 runs with 9 wickets in hand.

Next day Lee bowled his spell of the series and accounted for Trescothick (lazy edge to Gilchrist), Vaughan (bowled by a quick straight one again) and Hoggard (caught a gully). England were tottering at 31-4. Bell and Pietersen consolidated and took the score to 72 before Gilchrist took an excellent catch down the leg side to snare Pietersen, though it was doubtful whether the ball hit the glove/bat. And soon enough Bell was making the long walk back to the pavilion again given out caught behind in a doubtful decision. Jones was out next to a snorter from Lee. The score was 101 for 7. England lead by 200 runs and 3 wickets in hand. Yet again it looked like the Aussies had pulled it back. But Flintoff had other ideas. With Giles he added 30 runs. Soon enough Giles was out to Warne edging him to slip. And Harmison went second ball caught at silly point. Flintoff then freed his shoulders and smashed Kasprowicz for 2 sixes in the same over. Kaspers over went for 19 runs. And then followed it up with 2 more in Lees next over who had replaced Kasper. Finally Flintoff and Jones had added 51 runs in less than 8 overs and had changed a target of 230 to one of 282. England now had a slight edge because of the late onslaught. While Flintoff had batted he seemed to have done same damage to his shoulder and looked to be in discomfort but had soon overcome that to hit those huge sixes. Australia began well with both Hayden and Langer playing very safely to take them to 47 in 12 overs. Soon enough Vaughan brought on Flintoff for a wicket and he obliged with his second ball when he bowled Langer through the gate bowling round the wicket. And then the next five balls were the best I have seen in my life. Of course I have read of Holdings over to Boycott but this one was probably up there with that. Three balls at the right length all coming back a long way and all Ponting could do was to either play and miss or edge it. He left the fourth ball which was a wide half volley. And then since there was a no ball the last ball was full and left him, Ponting had to play at it and its a tribute to Pontings class that he could edge it to Jones. Match had swung Englands way again. But Martyn again started off pretty well hitting boundaries in a a manner that suggested that he was born on earth with the sole purpose of batting. Simon Jones was brought back and after being hit for boundaries through square leg and mid off he bowled one at the right length and Hayden yet again paid the price for playing towards covers only mangaing to edge it to trescothick who dived to his right to take a good catch at slip. And then in an inspired piece of captaincy Hoggard was brought back and his first ball got him the wicket of Martyn who played a casual flick which he could not keep down to Bell at mid wicket. England were now 107 for 4, needing another 175 to win with 6 wickets in hand. Katich scored a few boundaries to ease the pressure before he failed to read a straighter one from Giles that he glided into slips hands where Trescothick took it on the second attempt. Out walked Gilchrist and played the most irresponsible shot of the match when with a few minutes to close of play he danced down the track to Giles and gave a dolly to Flintoff at mid on. Next to come was Gillespie and he was promptly sent back first ball by a booming Flintoff inswinging yorker catching him Plumb in front. Clarke and Warne then played pretty well till it was the last over of the day and Harmison was running into bowl the score on 134. His first 3 balls were delivered from the 2nd floor of an apartment as usual and were short incoming delivieries, Clrake went back to all three. The fourth ball was a beautiful slower ball which was a yorker on middle stump, Clarke tried to put it through mid wicket and closed the face of the bat too soon and the ball pitched and left Clarke and crashed into off stump. It was 175 for 8 at the end of the third day with all but an England victory left for the next day.

No body had an inkling of the events to unfold the next day. Flintoff and Harmison started proceedings with both bowling right into the rib cage following it up with yorkers. Lee took many blows one flush on the arm guard. Warne got hit on the padding once but his run was disallowed as he was deemed not to have played a shot. But the runs were coming quick and fast through byes,leg byes shots over third man. Till once Warne who was going a long way across and back to play the bouncers walked onto his stumps. It was 220 for 9 at this stage. Aussies still needed another 62 runs with 1 wicket in hand. One over of Giles went for 13 with Kasper hitting 2 boundaries. Lee playing well to reach 43. In the meantime he was hit on his hands had to had a spray put on and was facing real hostility from the bowlers as well as the crowd. They had taken their team to within 10 runs of victory when Jones dropped a tough chance at third man. Then Lee hit a boundary and got them within 6 runs. 3 singles later all that was required was a boundary to win. Meanwhile Harmison came in and bowled a quick bouncer, Kasper tried to get out of its way hanged his bat at it taking off his hand and the ball hit the glove and Jones took a tumbling catch. England had won by 2 runs. Most of the spectators had their backs to the action such was the agony they were going through. I dont think too many people were left with fingernails at the end of the Match.

What were the turning points. Was it Ponting allowing so many free runs on the first day, was it the careless attitude that the Aussies displayed in the first innings especially from hayden,martyn and katich. Or was it the stubborness of Gilchrist to farm the strike.
To me the main turining points were the blizkreig of Flintoff and the nervousness of the Aussie batsmen. And add to it the careless shots that they played. Hayden, Martyn and Gilchrist all need to hang their heads in shame for the way they gifted away their wickets. They should thank their stars they dont have Ray Jennings for coach or Steve Waugh for captain. The only guys who could come out with their heads held high would be Lee,Warne and Langer who played tough good cricket. The rest need to re look at this match and try to be more commited in the remaining ones. For the English Bell needs to do something about playing Warne else he might become the next Daryll Cullinan. And Vaughan needs to do something about his batting form which at the moment is woeful.

But all in all the greatest test match I have seen in my life. Just because every hour the pendulum would swing in the other teams favour and for the tough cricket that was displayed by players on both sides.