Zimbabwe’s iconic feat in 83 World Cup is forgotten

December 20, 2021 by Keyur Seta 5 Comments

When we think of Zimbabwe with regards to the 1983 World Cup, the only match that comes to our minds is the one where they reduced India for 17 for 5 and still lost the match, thanks to Kapil Dev’s incredible 175 not out.

But there is more to Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup than their dramatic defeat against India. What they achieved in the tournament is rare and, unfortunately for them, hardly spoken or written about.

Zimbabwe won the ICC Trophy in 1982 in England after defeating Bermuda in the finals and hence qualified for the 1983 World Cup that was played in the same country.

Zimbabwe’s first match was against a strong and established team like Australia at Trent Bridge on 9 June 1983. As they were to play their first ever international series, there were no hopes from them. It would have been good for them even if they gave a decent fight to the opposing team.

But they did much more than that.

Batting first, Zimbabwean openers Ali Shah and Grant Paterson gave them a good start but both were dismissed with the score being on 55. Captain Duncan Fletcher had his task cut out as one of the prominent batsman David Houghton was out for a golden duck at the score being 86 for 4.

But Fletcher played a true captain’s innings with an unbeaten 69 off just 84 balls and helped Zimbabwe reach 239 for 6 off their 60 overs.

Zimbabwe 1983 World Cup — Duncan Fletcher at the post-match presentation [Photo source: ICC Twitter page]

Chasing 240 in 60 overs against minnows looked like an easy task. But Fletcher wasn’t done yet. He excelled with the ball as well and ensured that Zimbabwe won the match! Yes, the African country in their first ever match and that too against a test-playing team like Australia managed to win by 13 runs. This went down as the first ever upset in World Cup history.

In fact, this remains the only instance where an associate nation won its first ever ODI match against a test-playing nation.

Fletcher had figures of 4 for 42 from 11 overs. This coupled with his heroic innings with the bat rightfully earned him the man of the match award.

Strangely, Australia didn’t get all out. They lost by not being able to score 240 despite having 60 overs at their disposal. They lost their 7^th wicket at the score of 176. Rodney Marsh and Rodney Hogg then scored 50 off 42 balls and 19 off 22 balls respectively and had a 50 run unbeaten stand. But that wasn’t enough as the damage was already done by the top order by scoring slow.

I am sure Zimbabweans would have been over-the-moon with the result. But unfortunately, there isn’t a single video available of this match anywhere on the internet.

Zimbabwe, however, couldn’t repeat this feat in the remaining five matches of the series, although they did put India in a state of panic in their infamous defeat. But the team slowly progressed from here on. In the 90s and early 2000s, they defeated India on few occasions, including the close encounter in the 1999 World Cup, and got them tensed in few other. They also got the test status in 1992.

Unfortunately, political turmoil gripped the African nation at the start of the new millennium. During their 2003 World Cup campaign, Grant Flower and Henry Olonga protested against their government by wearing black bands on their arms and that was the end of their career as well as Zimbabwe’s miniature dominance. Their national team has been trying to climb the ladder since years.

These days, they are playing as an associate nation and hoping for a comeback and, maybe, a few more upsets.

Also read:

90s Flashback: Ajay JADEJA averaged 354 in this tri-series

He played 1 test but has ZERO tests to his name

Ajaz Patel: Witnessing history LIVE at Wankhede on an unusual day of cricket

December 4, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

I had unusual feelings while entering the Wankhede Stadium today on the second day of the second test between India vs New Zealand. I was happy to have got a chance to witness test cricket after 9 years. But it also reminded me that this was the first time I would be watching a test live after Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. The last I went to see a test was in 2012 when England crushed India.

India was to resume after ending the rain-interrupted first day on 221 for 4 with Mayank Agarwal not out on a century overnight. I was hoping to see India put on at least a respectable score and then get few New Zealand wickets.

But I had never imagined that I would be witnessing something historical and this would then be followed by something completely unexpected.

I reached around half an hour late because of some massive confusion over which gate to enter from. They changed the gates after ages. So by the time I reached, India were 6 down but Mayank Agarwal was still not out. I wanted India to bat at least some more time and reach 300. I wasn’t disappointed as Mayank reached 150 and Axar Patel made a gutsy half century.

But after Mayank got out at the score of 291 for 7, we realized we might see something special here as all 7 wickets were taken by Ajaz Patel. I developed mixed feelings at this stage. I wanted India to score well but at the same time I also wondered what if Ajaz Patel creates history today?

But an aggressive and short-tempered boy sitting ahead of me was angry and he kept saying that Patel shouldn’t be the next after Anil Kumble to pick up all 10 wickets.

When Ajaz Patel picked up 9 wickets, I dearly wanted to see him pick the 10^th as well, so that I get to witness history. The aggressive boy would have labeled me “anti-national” if I told him my wish.

Then came the moment when Mohammed Siraj lofted Patel in a miscued shot. When Rachin Ravindra was getting under the ball, it was the first time in my life that I badly wanted an Indian batter to get out. When he finally caught the ball, I rose up with jubilation. And to my pleasant surprise, the entire stadium did.

I wasn’t the only “anti-national” over there. The stadium was full of them, except that aggressive boy who had gone quite by now.

On a serious note, we were delighted to witness something that has happened just for the third time in the 144 years old test cricket history! This day shall remain one of the most memorable ones.

This was even special because Patel achieved the historic feat in the city he was born and brought up (in Jogeshwari locality) till he was eight years old.

As Indian fans would know, Anil Kumble was the second bowler in history to take all 10 wickets against Pakistan in the second innings of the Delhi test in 1999.

The first one was the England’s off-spinner Jim Laker who picked up 10 wickets against Australia in the second innings of the 1956 test at Manchester. More astonishingly, he had picked up 9 wickets in the first innings of the same match! It will take some doing to even equal Laker’s record of 19 wickets in a match.

But just when we thought we had seen it all, the dialogue, “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost” played out. I wanted India to pick wickets regularly to stay in the game but what we saw looked like a highlights package. Who would have expected New Zealand to be bundled out for just 62? There was more surprise in store when Indian captain Virat Kohli didn’t enforce the follow on.

Looking back, from a neutral point of view, it also feels bad for Ajaz Patel. He achieved rare history but on the same day his side got all out for 62 and is staring at a massive defeat, unless a miracle happens.

So how exactly should he look back at the day?

Also read:

15 years later: From Tendulkar’s comeback to Aleem Dar’s batting, this match saw it all

Only time Tendulkar was NOT selected in team India, neither injured nor rested

‘90s Flashback: Ajay JADEJA averaged 354 in this tri-series

October 17, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

1998 had Sachin Tendulkar written all over it. The legendary Indian batsman literally had a dream run that year. His most memorable outing came in the Sharjah cup played between India, Australia and New Zealand. But Ajay Jadeja also had the time of his life in 1998.

Just before going to Sharjah, India hosted a triangular series with Australia and Zimbabwe. This ODI [one-day international] tournament happened just after the India beat Australia in the test series by 2-1.

It was a series where Jadeja averaged a mammoth 354.

He showed his class in the first match itself at Kochi when India was in trouble at 80 for 3 against Australia. He got going right from the start and scored 105 not out off 109 balls with 12 fours. India scored an impressive 309 for 5 and won the match by 41 runs. This was the famous match where Tendulkar picked up 5 wickets for just 32 runs.

Ajay Jadeja — Photo source: SportzCraazy.com (For representational purpose only)

In India’s next match against Zimbabwe at Baroda, Jadeja again came into bat when his side was in a spot of bother at 95 for 3. He had a good partnership with Sourav Ganguly (82) and later with Hrishikesh Kanitkar (35) and remained unbeaten at 79 off 77 balls. Zimbabwe gave a scare, which they did so often to India in the ‘90s, but fell short by 13 runs.

Jadeja didn’t get much chance to bat during India’s match against Australia at Kanpur. Tendulkar was in a hurry to chase down a modest target of 223 by scoring 100 off just 89 balls with 5 fours and as many as 7 sixes, which was rare for that era. But Jadeja did face 31 balls and remained unbeaten on 6.

In the next match at Cuttack, Zimbabwe once again gave a scare to India and it was Jadeja again to the rescue. He walked in when India were reduced to 26 for 3 with Ganguly, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman gone.

Surprisingly, India didn’t lose any further wicket in the innings as Jadeja and Mohammad Azaharuddin had an unbeaten record 4^th wicket partnership of 275. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 116 and Azhar on 153. The team won by 32 runs.

Highlights of the 1st match of the series

India then met Australia in the final at Delhi. Batting first, they could only muster a score of 227 all out. But Jadeja remained the top-scorer with 48 off just 49 balls with 5 fours. After being unbeaten in the whole series, India lost the final by 4 wickets after a good fight with the ball.

Interestingly, Jadeja got out for the only time in the series in the final when he was caught and bowled by Michael Kasprowicz. I remember Ian Chappell pointing out that if he hadn’t got out in the final, he would have had no average in the series, which would have been a rarest of the rare case.

Jadeja scored a brilliant 354 runs in the series. He was hitting the ball effortlessly as if playing in the nets. Out of his six ODI 100s, two came in this tournament itself. As he got out just once, his average stood at a towering 354. He was rightly adjudged the Man of the Series. (See the scorecard of each match of the series HERE)

On a less serious note, the series was played in the scorching heat of April. During almost every innings, Jadeja and Azharuddin batted with a handkerchief around their necks. It was later found that they used to wet the hanky, refrigerate it and later tie it around their necks to beat the heat.

I was impressed with the hack and tried it a few times as a kid. It’s not a bad time to repeat it all over again after 23 years. This October heat is getting unbearable!

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

He played 1 test but has ZERO tests to his name

When Premchand wrote on CRICKET and its malpractices

September 26, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

The legendary writer and author Munshi Premchand is known for his path-breaking stories that show the mirror to the society. Through his novels, short stories and writings, he brought various social evils to light.

But it would come as a surprise to many to know that Premchand not only took interest in cricket but also wrote extensively about it. The late artiste used to write editorials in the newspaper Jagran back then and some of them were about cricket.

Premchand was born in 1880 and passed away in 1934. Hence, he wrote on cricket at a time when the game was in its infantry stage in India. This makes it all the more pleasantly surprising to know about his passion for the game back then.

This facet about the writer is brought to light by author Ramachandra Guha in his acclaimed book A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport. But I came to know about this through the Instagram user Debjit Lahiri on his famous cricket page @forgottencricketmemories.

Guha’s book tells us that Premchand also wrote on India’s famous tour of England in 1932. The team was led by the Maharaja of Porbandar and it had some talented players, including CK Nayudu. But one needs to understand that these were very early days for the Indian team and one couldn’t expect them to perform like a strong team.

Premchand cricket — Photo by **Patrick Case** from **Pexels**

As per an excerpt from the book produced by Scroll.in, Premchand wrote, “The Indian cricket team returned home. Although it did not achieve such spectacular success, it showed England that India cannot be neglected even in the field of play. The truth is that the people of India can beat the world if they get opportunities in every sphere of life. The people of England take pride in cricket. This pride must have received a big shock this time. It is a matter of joy that the Viceroy honoured the Indian team and introduced himself as a gentleman.”

But Premchand was largely known for fearlessly jotting down issues that harmed the country. Hence, in his cricket columns, he also criticized the idea of spending a large amount on the sport when the country was reeling with economic issues.

He wrote, as reproduced by Scroll.in, “For the cricket matches, railways gave concessions, express trains were put into service, entertainers are moving to Kolkata with their luggage in tow. And here it is being said that there is recession and lethargy to reduce wages, to cut the salary of servants but there is always a boom in such occasions (cricket matches).”

Also read: When South Africa won 2 WORLD titles in less than 2 months

In one of the columns, Premchand compared the situation with the French revolution. He wrote, “It is said that before the French Revolution, people used to die of hunger and their rulers and zamindars and mahajans would enjoy drama and dance. We are witnessing the same scene in India today. There is an outcry in the countryside. In the cities, they are having a ball. In the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) extravaganza, there are aeroplane exhibitions on display and money is being spent with great cruelty.”

In one of the matches in Varanasi, Rs 25 thousand was collected from five thousand tickets sold. Questioning the flow of money at such a time, Premchand wrote, “At least twenty-five thousand rupees were collected from tickets. And where did all this money come from? It came from the same babus and rich people who might not offer a dime for any national work.”

Also read: He took a hattrick and never played again…

But that’s not all. Premchand also criticized the inclusion of influential people in the Indian team just because of their rich background, rather than merit. This instantly brings to mind the nepotism debate going on among the Hindi film lovers since recent years.

He wrote, “Any player the administrators like is the one who finds himself in the XI. The only player certain of a place in the XI is the one who is nominated by the officials. On behalf of India, the Viceroy sends the congratulations. The representation of India is in the hands of these officials. So why shouldn’t the power to select players be in their hands too?”

Interestingly, Premchand also wrote fiction pieces on cricket in his novel Vardan and the short story titled Cricket Match.

Note: Scroll.in’s article on Premchand’s written works on cricket was based on an article from the Hindi website Satyagrah. To read the article, click HERE.

When South Africa won 2 WORLD titles in less than 2 months

August 21, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Before the start of any world tournament, be it the 50 over World Cup, T20 World Cup or ICC Champions trophy, discussions start making rounds on social media on whether South Africa will win its ‘first ever’ world title this time. The same is the case with the arrival of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021.

There is nothing wrong in having this discussion, except to believe that South Africa has never won a world title. The Proteas have won not one but two world titles already. And a lot of us seem to have forgotten that. It is widely believed that the team has never even reached the final of any world tournament, which is so wrong.

The first ICC Champions Trophy started off in 1998 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was also called the ‘Mini World Cup’ or ‘ICC Knock Out’ back then. It followed the format of eight teams participating in quarterfinal stage at the start. The four winners would play the semi-final and the last two the finals.

South Africa met the West Indies in the final, which was touted to be an exciting contest and this is exactly what it turned out to be. West Indian opener Philo Wallace, who was a star back then, scored 103 off just 102 balls. It looked like they would easily cross the 300 mark but Jacques Kallis’s 5 for 30 ensured that they got all out for just 245 in the last over.

In reply, South African openers Daryll Cullinan and Mike Rindel started well and put on 54 runs. But they kept losing wickets and were reduced to 137 for 5 at one stage. But their late captain Hansie Cronje was going strong. He scored 61 off 77 balls under pressure and had two useful partnerships with Dale Benkenstein (27 off 40) and Derek Crooks (24* off 21) to see his side home by four wickets.

Highlights of the 1998 ICC Knockout Final

This was the first time South Africa lifted a world title. But this achievement is still somewhat remembered by the cricketing world but the other one isn’t.

Cricket was introduced for the first time in the 1998 Commonwealth Games (CWG). It saw the participation of 16 countries, which is much more than what we see in any World Cup. It had West Indian islands Jamaica, Antigua-Barbuda and Barbados participate separately. It also saw the participating of non-regular teams like Canada and Northern Ireland.

Of all the test-playing countries, only South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe fielded their strongest teams. During the same time, India also had to participate in the Sahara Cup, the bilateral series against Pakistan that used to take place Toronto, Canada. Hence, they split their main team into two and sent two teams each for the Commonwealth Games and Sahara Cup. Pakistan sent a second string team.

Shaun Pollock’s spell in the final against Australia in the CWG 1998. There is no video of the highlights of the game. This one was posted just two months back

The two best teams of the CWG, South Africa and Australia, reached the finals. The Aussies batted first and were bundled out for just 183. Shaun Pollock was the star as he picked up 4 for 19. While chasing, Andrew Hudson (36 off 39), Rindel (67 off 106) and Kallis (44 off 96) helped South Africa win the final in a comprehensive way by four wickets. They were without the services of Cronje in this series.

CWC matches didn’t have the stamp of the ICC (International Cricket Council). But it was still a world tournament nevertheless and the matches were played in all seriousness.

Interestingly, South Africa won two world titles not just in the same year but also in a span of less than a month and a half (CWC final: September 19, ICC KO final: November 1).

Those were the days when South Africa was the best team in the world, at least in ODIs. At the end of the previous year (1997), they had also won the quadrangular tournament in Pakistan. Once again, they won the final while chasing.

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

He played 1 test but has ZERO tests to his name

When Sanjay Manjrekar & Rahul Dravid teamed up in a musical show

August 10, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Sanjay Manjrekar was known as an effective middle-order batsman for Mumbai and India during his playing days. He continued the legacy of his father Vijay Manjrekar, a popular batsman of his era. After retirement S Manjrekar is known for his work behind the microphone as a commentator.

But in between these two roles, somewhere lies Manjrekar the singer. This might come as a surprise to people who started watching cricket after the cricketer retired but he is a pretty good singer.

I came to know about Manjrekar’s fondness and talent for music when he brought out a music album called Rest Day way back in 1996, the year I started following cricket.

Sanjay Manjrekar and Rahul Dravid [Photos courtesy: Newsbyminute.com and Asianlite.com]

The album contained favourite Hindi songs of Manjrekar’s teammates sung in his own voice.

Here’s what he sang for which cricketer:

Mohammad Azharuddin – Oh Re Taal Mile Nadi Ke Jal Mein from Anokhi Raat (1968)

Sachin Tendulkar – Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhta Chala Gaya from Hum Dono (1961)

Anil Kumble – Chalte Chalte Mere Yeh Geet Yaad Rakhna from Chalte Chalte (1976)

Javaga Srinath – Ruk Jana Nahin Tu Kabhi Haar Ke from Imtihan (1974)

Manjrekar also went onto sing ‘Raat Kali Ek Khwab Mein Aai’ [Buddha Mil Gaya 1971], ‘Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas’ [Blackmail, 1973] and ‘Barson Hue hain Dil Mein’ [ghazal].

Listen to the album above

But there was a surprise package too. Vinod Kambli, who was known for his aggressive batting, also showed the singer inside him and sang ‘Tumse Achha Kaun Hai’ [title song, 1969] and an original track ‘Hum Kasam Khayenge’ along with Manjrekar and Arvinder Singh.

As I kid, I was ecstatic to see our cricketers trying their hand [rather, throat] at singing. The trailer of this album used to appear on TV almost daily and I used to watch it with wonder and excitement.

I still remember Manjrekar had impressed me with his singing. Mind you, it was an era where auto-tuning a person’s voice was hardly or never practiced.

Manjrekar showed his singing talent again later on in the same year [I guess]. It was the cricketers’ special of Zee TV’s musical game show Antakshari. He was paired with Rahul Dravid; Sourav Ganguly with Nayan Mongia; Sunil Joshi with Salil Ankola and Eknath Solkar with Madan Lal.

Manjrekar ruled the show with his singing and overshadowed Dravid. And it seemed like Dravid didn’t have any problem with that.

And as I am writing this, I realized a good soul has uploaded the entire cricketer’s special Antakshari video on YouTube just less than a year ago. See below:

He took a hattrick and never played again…

July 22, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Taking a hattrick is one of the most jubilant days for any bowler in any format against any team at any level. It also brings the bowler instant fame. That’s what happened recently with South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj taking a hattrick against the West Indies in a test match.

But there are some very few exceptions. A case in question is that of Australia’s Anthony Stuart. He just vanished from the scene after taking a hattrick.

Born in 1970 Newcastle, New South Wales, Stuart made his ODI debut against the West Indies in the ending stages of the Carlton & United triangular series on 5 January 1997. It was a high-scoring match that Australia lost but Stuart took 2 wickets on debut, including the one of the great Brian Lara.

His third match, which was against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), turned out to be a dream-come-true. With Australia bowling first, Stuart picked up Aamer Sohail and Zahoor Elahi at the start. But the best was yet to come.

Anthony Stuart [Photo courtesy: Twitter]

In the same spell, he got Ijaz Ahmed caught behind by wicket-keeper Ian Healy for 1. On the very next ball, he got Mohammad Wasim out in the same fashion. He bowled a classic outswinger that got rid of the courageous Moin Khan caught at first slip.

Stuart took a hattrick in just a third ODI of his career. As you can see from the video below, the young man was jubilant and unable to believe what just happened.

It was just the 12^th hattrick in ODIs. Interestingly, less than 15 days prior to that, Zimbabwe’s Eddo Brandes had taken a hattrick against England. [See the list of all ODI hattricks by clicking HERE]

On a side note, although Pakistan finished at a low score of just 181 for 9, it turned out to be a close encounter with some fine bowling from Wasim Akram (4 for 25). Australia were reduced to 148 for 7 at one stage but Michael Bevan (79*), as per his old habit, got them home in the last over.

Click on ‘WATCH ON YOUTUBE’ to see the hattrick video

This was the last league match and Australia’s last in the tri series. They were already knocked out of the tournament with Pakistan and West Indies reaching the finals.

This meant that Australia played next in the test series on their tour to South Africa in March that year. However, Stuart got a blow as he wasn’t even included in the squad of 14 players.

One can understand his exclusion from the test side since he hadn’t played any tests. But he wasn’t even considered for the ODIs. On the other hand, Andy Bichel, who debuted with Stuart and played all the three matches he played, was taken in the squad.

Unfortunately for Stuart, he was never again selected even in the Australian squad, leave alone being part of the playing 11.

The hattrick match where he had glorious figures of 5 for 26 turned out to be the last match of his international career. His 12-day career saw him take a hattrick and a 5-wicket haul.

As per some articles online, Stuart went through a loss of form in the period after the triangular series. After not being called back again to play for the Aussies, he also lost a place in the domestic New South Wales team as well.

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

This number 11 ‘tail-ender’ created a batting record that is forgotten

Inside Edge season 3 to feature TEST cricket?

June 24, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The first two seasons of Amazon Prime Video’s Inside Edge turned out to be entertaining for the lovers of cricket. Recently, the makers officially announced the third season of the show and shared its first poster.

For those not in the know, Inside Edge revolves around India’s domestic T20 championship. It focusses on the team Mumbai Mavericks, which is owned by Richa Chadha’s character, and the ups and downs they go through. The show primarily features betting and match-fixing in the tournament and shows its consequences.

Despite Inside Edge being known for showing a T20 tournament, it seems the third season will not feature the shortest version of the game.

There are a couple of reasons that indicate that Inside Edge season 3 will feature the longest version of the game – test cricket. This might sound crazy to many of you but let’s have a look at those indications.

The first poster of the third season clearly includes a red ball in the title that is unmissable. It doesn’t make sense for a show about T20 matches displaying a clear image of a red ball. For those who are not aware, a red ball is used only in test cricket and never in a limited overs match. That’s the reason why limited overs matches are called white ball cricket.

But an even bigger indication was given by the makers more than a year and half ago. Amazon Prime Video had shared a promo of their 14 new original shows in January 2020. The footage had a fleeting image of Tarun Virwani, who plays the main lead in the show, sitting in white clothes with white pads on, waiting for his turn to bat [either in the match or in the nets].

It seems impossible that a player in the show will wear white clothes and pads, irrespective of whether he is sitting for his chance in a match or the nets. Wearing white automatically means playing with a red ball. And one would neither play nor practice with a red ball for a limited overs competition.

The announcement by Amazon Prime Video about 14 new shows

Of course, we will get a confirmation only in the teaser or the trailer. These are just assumptions based on two major hints, especially the second one.

The above indications were observed by my friend Aditya Kulkarni.

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

This number 11 ‘tail-ender’ created a batting record that is forgotten

This number 11 ‘tail-ender’ created a batting record that is forgotten

June 11, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

In all these years of test cricket, there have been some enormous number of batting records set by some terrific players. But since they are batting records, it is a given that we would associate batsmen with them.

But here’s one terrific batting record achieved not by any top or even a lower-order batsman. In fact, this piece of record belongs to a player who batted right at number 11.

In the first test of the 2013 Ashes series in Nottingham, England, the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar made his test debut for Australia. But this is the story of his antics with the bat instead of the ball. Something the cricketing world seems to have forgotten over the last eight years.

England won the toss and elected to bat and were bundled out for just 215. Agar couldn’t take a single wicket, although he bowled only seven overs. In reply, Australia was struggling at one stage with 53 for 4 before Steve Smith (53) rescued the ship. But wickets kept tumbling once Smith got out and the Aussies were reduced to 117 for 9.

The late Philip Hughes was batting well at the other hand but he was quickly losing partners. After the 9^th wicket fell, in came the debutant Agar who was just 19. It seemed as if it’s just a formality to take the last wicket. But the cricketing world was about to witness a phenomenal record.

As soon as Agar played the first few balls, I realized he is no way a typical number 11 tail-ender. Be it playing a defensive shot or going after the bowling, this guy seemed like a complete batsman. As his innings progressed, it seemed more and more that he is an accomplished batsman.

He literally took on the English bowlers and started scoring more than his partner Hughes, a more accomplished batsman. Commentators Ian Botham and Michael Holding repeatedly kept saying that Agar is no way a tail-ender and questioned the logic of sending him at number 11.

Agar reached his 50 in no time. At number 11 and that too on debut. Once he reached this milestone, there was no stopping him. He kept on playing shots fearlessly, more so in the mid-on area. And there came a time when he reached 90 all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, Australia, which was almost 100 runs behind when the 9^th wicket fell, had actually got the first innings lead; something nobody would have expected.

No number 11 player in the long history of test cricket had scored a century and the people gathered in the stadium were in to witness history if that happened. Agar would have had his heart in his mouth when, on 93, he edged the ball off Graeme Swann and it went wide of the first slip.

Agar was inching closer to his century when he reached 98. He was facing Stuart Broad. Going by the flair with which he had batted all along, it seemed he will get those 2 runs easily. He played the pull shot off a short ball.

The Australian team in the pavilion got excited, like many in the stadium and those glued to the TV, only for Swann to take a diving catch at deep mid-wicket. Agar was gone for 98!

I remember giving a loud disappointing reaction to it. Going by my emotions, my family members thought an Indian player missed his century.

The 19-year-old Agar had a smile as he started walking back to the pavilion amidst a heroic reception. A 100 on debut and that too at number 11 would have been a dream moment but it wasn’t to be.

But despite that, Agar broke the record for the highest score for a batsman batting at number 11. The previous record was held by Tino Best, who scored 95 also against England in 2012 at Birmingham. Agar’s 100 would have been more special since it was his test debut.

Somehow, Agar’s innings or his record isn’t discussed or recalled in cricket discussions, although it took place just eight years ago.

There is also no official video on the highlights of Agar’s innings. There’s an unofficial one with not-so-good quality.

Also read:

1998: When 2 Indian teams were selected for 2 different series

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

1998: When 2 Indian teams were selected for 2 different series

May 11, 2021 by Keyur Seta 7 Comments

The BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India) has decided to send India’s B team for the white ball tour of Sri Lanka in July. The reason being that the tour will clash with India’s test tour of England, which is more important.

Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane and Jaspreet Bumrah are included in the test squad. Similarly, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Sanju Samson have been kept aside for the SL tour.

After going through numerous social media posts, it seems a lot of people feel this is the first time that an Indian team is split into two for two different tours. But that is far from true.

In 1998, the Indian team was split into two due to the circumstances that cropped up back then.

Team India was all set to play its annual Sahara Cup series against Pakistan in September. But the Commonwealth Games were also held at the same time in Kuala Lumpur and that year it also included cricket as one of the sports.

The BCCI decided to send India’s main team to compete against Pakistan. That series was official while the Commonwealth ODIs were only given a List A status. However, the then Sports Minister Suresh Kalmadi imposed a lot of pressure on the BCCI to send a strong team for the Commonwealth Games.

Tendulkar at Commonwealth games — Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin

Hence, the board divided the main players into two teams for the Sahara Cup and the Commonwealth Games. [The upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2022 will also feature Cricket for both men and women]

The decision of sending Sachin Tendulkar for the CWG made cricket fans raise their eyebrows. The star Indian cricketer was having the most incredible time of his career in that year and they hoped to see him in the series that mattered more.

Other main players that were asked to represent India at the CWG included Ajay Jadeja (captain), Anil Kumble (vice-captain), Robin Singh and Harbhajan Singh. For the Sahara Cup, the board sent regulars like Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin (captain), Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Ajit Agarkar.

The CWG had as many as 16 teams participating. It had teams like Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda and Barbados taking part separately instead of playing under the umbrella of the West Indies. It also had Northern Ireland instead of just Ireland. Only Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe sent their full strength teams.

The final result of this exercise turned out to be unfavorable for both the Indian sides. India lost the Sahara Cup by 4-1 and it couldn’t reach the second round in the Commonwealth Games. Indian even struggled against Antigua before rains washed out the match. That series was eventually won by South Africa; a rare world title for them.

But there was more drama in store. After failing to qualify in the second round of the CWG, the BCCI decided to send Tendulkar for the last two ODIs in the Sahara Cup. However, there was some miscommunication and they couldn’t trace Tendulkar, who had gone to Khandala to relax with his family.

Finally, the board was able to contact Tendulkar and he was sent in to play the last ODI in Toronto, although India had already lost the series. He played well scoring 77 and India post a good total of 256 only to lose that match too.

Tendulkar’s 77 in the last ODI of the Sahara Cup along with Azharuddin’s 101

I remember Sunil Gavaskar singing his own version of the popular song ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ before that match while describing the confusion regarding Tendulkar’s presence [or absence].

But such a scenario is not at all expected this time around in 2021 for two reasons. The board is willingly sending two different sides in England and Sri Lanka. More importantly, we have a large number of good players that can easily fit into two squads of 14 or 15 players.

Also read:

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